Elusive Engagement
by xDJNx
Summary: AU. Three years can change a lot of things, but not this pair. An actress who wants to only be known for her talent and a producer with a grudge. But things change quickly when he asks a little favor from her..
1. Good Graces

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha.

_This is based off _Return Engagement** by Kay Hooper. Enjoy!**

**Good Graces**

"Miss Higurashi, if you would keep to your mark!"

Oh, that voice again! How dare Taisho interrupt their filming—again!—for a stupid critique that made no sense! Since they'd started shooting at seven o'clock that morning, he'd been nothing but a pain in everyone's sides—particularly hers. All he did was antagonize her, goad her into verbal battles where neither came out a winner. In fact, the whole problem was _him_! He would complain that they were behind schedule, yet drag them all around just because he _thought_ they weren't doing something right! And he wasn't even the director!

Spinning on her heel to face her tormentor, she hissed, "Excuse me? This is _exactly_ where I was _told_ to stand by our _director_! Please forgive me if I follow _his _instructions rather than _yours_!" Kagome placed her fists on her hips, cocking them to one side. "So, if you could be so kind"—she used a sweet tone, a matching smile on her mouth meant to annoy him further—"_shut up_!"

InuYasha Taisho moved out of his relaxed position near the camera, unfolding his arms from his lean chest to move towards her with inhuman grace. "I never heard him tell you to attach yourself to Kouga like a second skin. You may be in the right place, but apparently I need to remind you that I don't back smut films." Despite the fire flaring in his golden eyes, his words were calm and cool, deliberately used to annoy her all the more. The only thing that gave him away were the twitching of the dog ears atop his head.

Kagome immediately tensed at the insult, taking a moment to count to ten so she wouldn't go for his throat. "Don't you _dare_ insult me with such insinuations! Everyone here knows that I am nothing less than professional when I am shooting! You have some nerve!" She stomped the last few steps to be face-to-chest with him, stabbing her index finger into his chest to emphasize her point, her stormy gray gaze meeting his amber one. "Don't think for one moment that I will take that lightly!" How dare he speak about her that way! As if she were unprofessional in the least!

"I would move that finger, _Miss Higurashi_, before you get more than you bargained for," he growled, the threat in his eyes quite clear; if she pushed him too far, he would be anything but professional.

She reluctantly removed her finger, not wanting to expose a past she wasn't ready to face. Crossing her arms over her breasts, she said haughtily, "I may be under contract, but that doesn't mean I won't file a lawsuit for sexual harassment and slander should you keep up this attitude. I am merely doing my job and if you have a problem with that, _fire me_." It was the best threat she could come up with on the spot. It wasn't that she was conceited, but she knew she was a hot commodity for any Hollywood movie. Though her acting career had been rocky for her first few films—she'd been extras and minor characters—it had flared up when she landed a starring role in a low-budget horror film that had captured the interest of the nation quickly and swiftly. After that, she'd almost constantly been in starring roles, and she was good at what she did.

The anger was rolling off him in waves, sparking her own fury. He tried to laugh coolly, but it came out as more of a bark. "From what I saw, you were plastering yourself to him like an advertisement for the red-light district."

She turned to glare at him. "Well, _you_ would know the best what that looks like," she responded furiously, regretting being the one to make it personal. She hated making herself seem _too_ upset with him. There were already rumors floating around that perhaps their feud was really just pent up sexual frustration; they had no idea.

Keeping her gaze steady on his arrogant face was proving to be more difficult than she'd realized. Her eyes kept straying down his body, memories of him flashing in her mind before she could stop them. He was all lean muscle and dog hanyou grace. He walked with the gait of a hunter and she would shiver whenever she remembered what it had been like to watch him approach her with that predatory look in his eyes and that swagger that made him seem almost lazy. Even now, with rage filling her, she wanted him, though she would never admit to it.

_Keep yourself together, Kagome!_

He never moved his eyes from her, just stared her down, making her feel almost small. Another thing she would never admit to.

"Don't you try to intimidate me! Just because you're backing this film doesn't mean that you get to tell _us_ how to do our jobs!" She tried to remain fluid, but she knew her actions were rigid, mostly because of her effort not to throttle him. He had that ability over her: no matter how much she forced herself to keep on her poker face—which she was excellent at, otherwise—he could make her lose her cool. She'd never met a more infuriating male in all her twenty five years.

Giving a nonchalant shrug, he retorted, "I'm just protecting the money I put into this picture. And the fact that I _do_ have money invested here gives me the _right_ to tell you how to do your job. I can't have my project bombing because _you_ can't help jumping the leading man." He smirked self-assuredly. "Besides, that money I put into this is paying _your_ salary." Obviously pleased with himself, he waited patiently with arms crossed for her to retort. If a headache hadn't been forming, she would have tackled him and clawed his eyes out.

"And that means _what,_ exactly?" The tone in her voice, that uncharacteristic twinge of pure emotion, had heads swiveling towards them as nothing else could have.

He grit his teeth. "That means you better watch yourself. As great as our little battles are, there comes a time when someone has to admit when they're beaten." The words obviously came out harsher than he'd intended because he cleared his throat before he began to speak again. Turning from her, he shouted, "Can we get back on track please? We're off schedule again—"

"And whose fault is that, may I ask?" She waited for him to twist towards her once more, smiling sweetly at him. "If you wouldn't keep interrupting us, we'd be done by now and probably at our homes, doing what we want between pictures. Why don't you just go do what you do best: sign checks." Spinning away, she kept a grin of victory from her face with great effort, thinking she had finally one-upped him.

"You know who's in charge here, Kagome," he snapped, stopping her in her tracks.

He'd said the same thing—though in much different tones—to her before. No one else on the crew would hear the double meaning he intended—confirming their once-upon-a-time romance—but it took the lid off her fury. She couldn't help stomping towards him, hands in fists at her sides, and snarling, "You are _unbelievable_, _Mr._ Taisho!" For once, she didn't know what to say after that. She felt all eyes on her, questioning both Taisho's informal address and how upset it had made her. They expected her to berate him verbally, put him in his place. But words escaped her at that moment as memories and a migraine beat between her eyes.

He raised an eyebrow in expectancy. "Well? Is that all you have to say to me, _Miss_ Higurashi?"

Clearing her head efficiently, she said in an icy tone, "Goodbye; I have a scene to shoot." She strode away, hoping that he wouldn't take that as a white flag, though she knew she was defeated. _He_ wasn't the one that wanted to keep their past a secret; he didn't have to pull his punches.

There was a long silence before their director yelled, "All right, let's take the scene from the top!"

To get her mind away from Taisho, she did what she did best: acted like nothing was wrong.

_Scene Change!_

"Lunch break! We'll shoot the last scene and then we're done with filming!" their director shouted, despite the fact that everyone was already leaving. The reminder that this could quite possibly be their last day away from their homes and families—or, as the case may be, girlfriends and boyfriends—boosted everyone's spirits. Cars raced out of the desert and towards Vegas, where they would eat and talk for an hour or two and return to finish what they'd started.

Kagome made her way towards her trailer, smiling at the people she declined riding with. She would just stay with her cat, Buyo, and catch a short nap. She didn't mention the splitting headache that hadn't gone away even when Taisho's presence had disappeared. It seemed to only get worse after that, actually. _If you would quit worrying about him, it probably would have gotten better. You're just too tired. Maybe you should just stay home for the month until filming starts __for _Celebration!_ That way you can forget all about that woman the tabloids are saying he's with._

She caught the jealousy in her own inner voice but dismissed it. It was natural to be jealous of something you would never get. Sure, stability and love would be nice, but they were hard to find for an actress.

When she reached the door to her trailer, a shadow fell over her just before a hand landed just above her head to hold it shut.

"Kagome."

She had to stifle a moan. He could get his voice so silken when he wanted to, though it never completely lost that gruff edge that put him apart from all other men in Hollywood. It always raked over her skin, giving her goosebumps. "What?" she croaked, hoping it was because of how dry her throat had become during shooting.

"Come to lunch with me."

It wasn't a question.

"No," she said immediately, instinctively. "I'm going to rest in my trailer." Pulling the door just slightly, he allowed her to enter the trailer, but she knew better than to think that he would leave it at that. Even if she closed the door, he would just break the lock and open it. "Water's in the fridge," she said quietly, crashing on the bed in the corner of her makeshift home, annoying Buyo to no end. Fortunately, his love of InuYasha—when the half-demon wasn't tormenting him—kept his mind off it as he went to curl himself around said man's legs.

"You look like you haven't eaten in days."

"I'm on a diet."

She still hadn't looked at him, nor did she intend to until he closed the door to her trailer, flipping the lock. Her head flew up the moment she heard the soft _click!_ Her wide eyes met his amused ones. "Wh-why did you do that?" If she'd had the energy, she would have run to the door and opened it wide. Her tired body, however, stopped her. What was the worst thing that could happen other than a few rumors? Besides, the only people who'd stayed behind were probably in the food tent, stuffing their faces.

His eyes narrowed in quick anger. "I don't understand why you're so afraid someone might find out about our time together three years ago. What does it matter?" he growled.

He'd never understood why she'd wanted to keep it between them. He'd always taken it so personally, as if she were ashamed of him.

But her problem went much deeper than that. She had been a struggling actress and he'd been—still was—a powerful producer, backed by millions—perhaps billions—of money that made him quite influential in their world of glitz and glamor. If they'd come out with their relationship and she'd gotten a part in a movie with his name under the producers, no one would have taken her seriously. She would have been labeled an easy conquest and they'd have believed the only reason she got cast was because she'd influenced him to get her a part.

He'd never particularly cared.

"Maybe the fact that rumors will fly and I'll never hear the end of it from reporters. If you come in here, you need to leave the door open." She started to rise, but gave up on it quickly. _Oh, I give up. I just want to take a nap!_

His gaze became concerned and he ignored Buyo's cry of indignation when he simply passed the cat to sit on her bed. She stiffened at his close proximity. "You're not feeling well." Again, not a question.

It annoyed her that he would act so concerned about her not feeling well. What did he care? As long as the movie was a hit, did he really care how she felt? And he definitely shouldn't sit so close to her on her bed with the door locked and closed.

Should he decide to do anything, she would have nowhere to run. She was stuck with him until he decided to get up and leave.

Sighing, she said, "I'm fine; it's just hot outside. We're in the desert, you know."

She flinched at how unconvincing her voice sounded, even in her own mind. _I'm supposed to be an actress and I can't even lie to him about a little headache._

Keeping herself face down in the bed became quite a chore when he didn't say or do anything. InuYasha Taisho was brash and acted rather than pondered. If he was quiet, it meant he was either plotting or incredibly angry. Either would not be good for her.

"Everyone else is fine. Maybe if you ate something you wouldn't be so tired."

He sounded almost...reasonable. Another bad sign. There was no threat, no ferociousness in his tone. If she hadn't known better, she'd think that he didn't actually _care_ whether she was sick or not.

Of course, she _did_ know him better than that.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not used to the sun like they are. I don't live in Hollywood or Las Angeles." In fact, she didn't live in California. Hoping to get away from the fast lifestyle, she'd moved to her own twelve acre plot of land in Iowa, where she lived between movies with her housemate/keeper Sango, raising two abandoned collies, Jack and Jill.

He made a low noise of annoyance in his throat. "I doubt that's it. Why the fuck won't you just _tell me_ what's going on?" His voice was dark with intent.

Rolling her eyes, she simply answered him, skipping over all the arguing. "I haven't eaten anything other than a doughnut all day, okay? I'm just not hungry."

There was a long pause before he snarled, "_What_ did you just say?" Before she could say anything, he acted.

Agilely flipping her onto her back, he held her wrists next to her head, leaning over her menacingly. His eyes were narrowed to amber slits and seemed to cut straight into her soul. "If you keep this up, _Ka-go-me_, I'll _assign_ you a keeper! You need to eat, not _diet_." He spat the word as if it were the worst tasting thing in the world. "It's not safe to starve yourself while you're _in the desert, out of air-conditioning_ for long periods of time!"

There was the InuYasha she knew, back with his flaring temper and arrogant take on _her_ life. "Let go of me, you bully! I'm on a diet to keep in shape, not starve myself! And don't act as if I were a child! I know how to take care of myself!" When he merely lifted one side of his lips to snarl at her, she said with a huff, "Take all your masochistic thoughts out of your head and shove them up your butt. I don't care if you _assign _me a keeper; they won't last more than a day!" In the heat of the moment, she tried to headbutt him, only to be held easily by his strong hands. "You jerk! Let me up!"

He glared at her for a long moment then did as she ordered. Oh, but the battle wasn't over, she knew. He would tear into her all over again, without a doubt. That's what he always did and would continue doing until the end of either of their lives.

Gritting his teeth, he growled, "Fine. If you want to kill yourself, don't come crying to me."

With that, he stood fluidly and stalked to the trailer's door, nearly kicking a lounging Buyo across the moderate space. He flung it open—breaking the lock—and stormed out, slamming it shut hard enough to rock the entire trailer.

She ran to the swinging door, ignoring her sudden dizziness to shout, "Oh, real mature!" and slam the door as well. Hers, however, was not nearly as satisfying.

_Scene Change!_

"I...I can't believe you would...would do this to me..." Her voice trailed off, her breathing heavy. She couldn't believe he'd left her in the middle of nowhere when he was supposed to love her. He'd just abandoned her and she had nowhere to go, no one that would come for her. He had simply left her behind to fend for herself with nothing. "I...I thought..." With a sharp cry, she fell to the ground, unconscious before she hit the ground.

There was quiet all around her until the director's voice cut into the silence. "Cut! Print it!" When the cameramen signaled that they were finished, a loud round of applause exploded. "Nice work, Miss Higurashi! Perfection! Now we can all go home!" At that last word, the applause grew to catcalls and wolf howls. The entire crew was ecstatic; the filming was done! Now they could go home and spend some much needed R&R time with their families and friends. And those that just wanted to gamble could go the ten miles to Las Vegas.

Kagome smiled to them all as she rose, though a sudden wave of nausea captured her. She stumbled slightly her first step, but ignored the strain on her body to keep moving. _It's so hot. Maybe I can get someone to bring me to my trailer._ And still, she pushed herself forward. She wouldn't give InuYasha the satisfaction of seeing her trip because of the toll of the heat on her body. He would no doubt make some snide comment about her inability to keep herself upright. And there was no way he was giving him leave to do that. _I'm fine; I just need an ice cold bottle of water and a chance to get out of the sun._

Her co-star met her halfway to the tent. "You were amazing in that last scene, Kagome," Kouga congratulated. He put his arm around her waist in a friendly gesture, smiling down at her. His piercing wolf-demon blue eyes twinkled with genuine praise when he picked her up and swung her around in a large arc. "If you were any better an actress," he said, still carrying her unintentionally, "I would feel really intimidated." Putting her down just beside a chair with the word DIRECTOR printed across the back, he laughed at her immediate call for a water. "But I'm much better than you at your current pace." He winked at her jokingly, smirking roguishly.

"Excuse me?" she said with a smile. It was hard not to play around with Kouga Wolfe; he was easy to be around and straight-forward, though he knew how to be tactful. She couldn't help but join in his games. "I believe I am _much_ better at acting than _you_, wolf-boy."

She had been in another movie with the handsome wolf-demon and had found his friendship irresistible. Though he had hinted at more, she'd always kept him at an arm's length, making sure it was quite clear that she wasn't interested in him in any way other than a platonic relationship. Even if it was often whispered that there was more than friendship there, she didn't let it bother her. He was still her usual date when she went out on the town and quite nearly her closest friend.

It had been great planning on the part of the casting director to put them on the same movie; box office sales would skyrocket as people around the country wondered whether they would have an off-screen romance to match their on-screen one. Some were hoping to see them become the next Brangelina.

He howled with laughter. "Oh, really?" He easily picked her up and held her above him so he had to tilt his head back to look at her. "You won't be much competition if I hire a hit-man."

Smirking, Kagome replied, "You don't have the _balls._" A dizziness came over her after he abruptly put her back on her feet. She swayed slightly and gently leaned on him. "Besides...besides I..."

Whatever she had been about to say was lost when she felt her legs give way beneath her. She was vaguely aware of the ground moving to meet her face and the frantic voices of those surrounding her. Everything around her was growing dark and panic set in. What was happening to her? Why couldn't she stand up? Her labored breaths heaved in and out of her chest. Panicked, her eyes sought out the shape of InuYasha, who was rushing to her side, plain fear in his bright amber eyes.

He was the last thing she saw before darkness set in.

_Scene Change!_

When he'd seen the panicked look in her eyes after she'd fallen, he couldn't control the beast inside him. She had just stared up at him, so scared... Every primal instinct came to the forefront of his mind, making him rush to her side and shove everyone else aside. "Call a goddamned ambulance!" he ordered harshly, barely able to contain his fear and fury. Her shallow breathing was like dozens of knives stabbing into him, relentless in their onslaught.

It didn't escape him that she had most definitely brought this upon herself. _Stupid fucking diets,_ his head snarled, though he didn't say anything aloud. Gently, he sat down and scooped her into his lap to wait for help. The entire crew was racing around them, ignored by the producer. He didn't care what people thought once they finally took in the fact that he was holding her to him intimately.

"The ambulance is on its way," Wolfe said with a glare.

InuYasha knew that not all of what the tabloids wrote was untrue. He knew that the wolf-demon before him was trying to date Kagome, though she wouldn't give him enough time to do so. While she was hopping from movie to movie, he was pursuing her, trying to get her to see him as more than a friend.

Fat chance.

After this little episode, InuYasha Taisho would be a constant in Kagome Higurashi's life. She would not be doing something so stupid like this again, that much was for certain.

"Good," he growled in return, furious that the other man would think that there was even the slightest possibility that Kagome would be his. InuYasha would stake his claim before anyone else could sneak their way into her good graces.

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Next week: _Waking in the Hospital.

**Preview**

_The presence is back,_ Kagome thought idly to herself, waking momentarily from her slumber, though she didn't open her eyes. _It seems so much quieter when he's here_. She didn't immediately catch the word "he", but when she did, she couldn't help berating herself. _It could be a _girl, _too. I mean, I don't _need_ a man._ Something about lying to herself made her twitchy, and she tried to turn onto her side, but a soft pressure against her shoulder kept her down. _Don't do that! I hate sleeping on my back. It's too uncomfortable._ "L-let go," she said quietly. She would have flinched at the fragile sound of her voice, had she had the energy to do so.

"You always have to argue with me, even when you're hurt, don't you, Kagome?"

Her eyes would have flown open at the voice, but they were too heavy for her to do something so reckless. Her eyelids slowly lifted until they were filled with his face. "What...what are _you_ doing here?" Her attempt at venom was worse than a gardener snake's. "Where am I?"

Taisho frowned. "The hospital. You woke up a few times before but you weren't lucid." A worry line came between his eyebrows.


	2. Waking in the Hospital

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha.

_This story is based off_ Return Engagement **by Kay Hooper.**  
_Last chapter's feedback has gotten me really excited to write this second chapter! You all are wonderful!_

**Waking in the Hospital**

She could hear the buzz of voices around her constantly, and tried to make them go away. But every time she attempted to voice her annoyance, they just seemed to buzz more. Could they not understand that she needed to sleep? _Just a few more minutes and I'll be fine,_ she thought to herself, trying to open her mouth to say so to those nameless, faceless bodies surrounding her. Then the voices slowly stopped mattering and she dreamed.

She dreamed of a large home with a barn and a long, dirt driveway. There were several children running around playing tag and getting grass stains all over their clothes. Her voice, filled with happiness and laughter, rang out, warning them that dinner would soon be ready and that they were to wash up. Their disappointed voices cried out, trying to coax more time to play from her, but she used a stern tone to let them know there would be no negotiating.

Turning to a large dining room set for six, she wobbled with a heavy stomach towards the table with a bowl full of mashed potatoes that seemed to be enough to keep an army well-fed. As she set the vegetables down on the place mat, two familiar arms wrapped themselves around her while a comforting voice murmured in her ear, "Wake up, Kagome. I'll never ask anything more of you if you just open your eyes and _look at me_."

_That presence_. _The presence is back, _Kagome thought idly to herself, waking momentarily from her slumber, though she didn't open her eyes. _It seems so much quieter when he's here. I just need to rest for a moment._ She didn't immediately catch the word "he", but when she did, she couldn't help berating herself. _It could be a _girl,_ too. I mean, I don't _need_ a man._ Something about lying to herself made her twitchy, and she tried to turn onto her side, but a soft pressure against her shoulder kept her down. She tried once more, only to be held down again. _Don't do that,_ she wanted to growl. _I _hate_ sleeping on my back. It's too uncomfortable._ Another failed attempt brought forth annoyance. "L-let go," she said quietly. She would have flinched at the fragile sound of her voice, had she had the energy to do so.

"You always have to argue with me, even when you're hurt, don't you, Kagome? You just can't take that sometimes I know more than you."

Her eyes would have flown open at the voice, but they were too heavy for her to do something so reckless. Her head throbbing, her eyelids slowly lifted until her gaze was filled with his face. "What"—she cleared her throat to get rid of the rasping tone—"what are _you_ doing here?" Her attempt at venom was worse than a gardener snake's. A quick look around made it quite clear that she wasn't in her trailer. "Where am I?"

Taisho frowned. "The hospital," he said with some effort. "You woke up a few times before, but you weren't lucid." A worry line creased between his eyebrows and his hand lifted to feel her forehead. "How are you feeling now?"

Though she normally would have swiped his concerned touch away, without the energy to do so, she allowed him the touch. "The hospital? Just because I was a little tired? I just need to go home and sleep for a little while longer and I'll be fine." She tried not to sound flustered or uncomfortable, but it was exactly how she felt. He'd been with her, watching over her when she was lying in the hospital bed—over something so minor, no less?

"A little tired? You've been lying there, looking like you were dead for two days! You call that 'a little tired'?"

She blinked in astonishment, but not at his sudden rage. His words bothered her most. "Wh-what are you talking about, InuYasha?" The slip of informal greeting slipped her notice. "I couldn't have been sleeping for the last two days! Oh my God! The press didn't get a hold of this, did they? Oh, God, this is going to destroy my reputation!" She felt tears on the edge of her vision, blurring everything within her gaze.

Surprisingly, InuYasha leaned over, bringing her face to his shoulder. "Shh, it'll be all right. I didn't let it leak to the press," he answered soothingly. His voice was smooth, yet harsh, like he was trying to make her feel better, but was angry with her at the same time. It brought her guard up, but she wasn't able to tear her face away from him; he held the back of her head tight.

So she allowed him to hold her there and for herself to cry. How had she been asleep for two days? What was wrong with her? All her worries ate at her, forcing the woman that never cried in front of anyone to practically soak his nice button up shirt in salty tears.

"Um, I can come back in a few minutes, if she needs some time with you," an unfamiliar voice said from across the room, catching Kagome's attention immediately. Her head shot up despite InuYasha's hold on it and sought out the source.

In the doorway of the hospital room stood a young doctor with an all too-knowing grin. Kagome immediately blushed and shoved InuYasha away from her, realizing what their actions must have looked like to the stranger. "I..um, I didn't know that you were standing there, doctor. We aren't...uh—"

"No need to be embarrassed, Miss Higurashi; your fiance explained everything to us. We know that privacy is a big issue right now, so—"

She didn't hear anything the doctor said after the word "fiance". He couldn't mean...InuYasha Taisho? Her _fiance_? When had _that_ happened? How had she managed to acquire a fiance while unconscious? She swung her head so she could effectively hiss at InuYasha, demanding an answer to this puzzling question, but his look stopped her cold. _Don't say anything; I'll explain later_, was the clear message in his darkening amber eyes. So she kept her mouth shut. She locked away the retort that threatened to rip out of her mouth of its own volition.

InuYasha turned his attention to the doctor once more, keeping his glare cold and steely hard. "All I care about right now is keep the press out of this. They'd have a field day if they caught wind of our engagement _or_ the fact that she passed out while on set. We don't need her reputation tarnished and we most certainly don't need them making nuisances of themselves."

He sounded so matter-of-fact that Kagome caught herself nodding with him before she realized that _she didn't know what he was talking about._ She still couldn't get past the fact that they were supposed to be _engaged._ They could barely be in the same room as each other without fighting, much less falling in love!

Biting back her confusion and the anger that followed, she kept her thoughts and worries to herself, gauging the doctor's reactions as InuYasha continued describing their circumstances. The man didn't seem shocked, not in the least. It was as if he were used to such odd requests from such obviously famous people.

"All right, I'll make sure to keep this on a need-to-know basis. That way, anyone who _might_ be able to leak this will be held completely responsible for their actions." His voice was deep yet kind, giving her a sense of calm and comfort. Turning towards his patient, he flashed her a handsome grin. "Now, Miss Higurashi, I'm your doctor. My name is Suikotsu and I just want to explain what happened to you. I've already told seemingly everyone that was on set that day but you." He gave a small, uncomfortable chuckle. "As it seems, you have been very busy in Hollywood, haven't you? In fact, I've read a couple of articles saying that you are one of the busiest actresses in the business."

She smiled at what she believed to be a great compliment. To be a busy actress, one must be an in-demand actress. Casting agents didn't seek you out just because you were pretty, though it didn't hurt. They sought you out because you didn't just play a character, you _were_ the character. Until filming was over, you were to be the one they told you to be.

"It seems that your hectic scheduling has caused your health to deteriorate. Mr. Taisho tells me that he's been"—the doctor cleared his throat and made air quotations—"'watching the pounds drop off you' everyday. Actually—assuming the shooting schedules are the same for your other pictures—I'm surprised you haven't made several trips to the hospital in the last few years." A sterner look replaced his surprised one. "Miss Higurashi, you seriously need to take a break. And I'm not talking about a few weeks. Your body is exhausted and it's going to start giving out on you a whole lot more if you don't take proper care of it.

"I suggest taking a year to yourself. Just a calming period. Do some benefits, sit in the sun, write a book! If you want to keep a more serious consequence at bay, you'll need to stay away from such exhausting things such as acting and movies. Even then I would suggest taking a month between movies to just relax and breath." He shot InuYasha a meaningful look. "Don't let her push herself this hard again. Unless you want a very quick and potentially fatal end to your honeymoon, keep an eye on her. Anything too stressful will just put her right back into one of these rooms."

As if swapping back to his friendly personality, Dr. Suikotsu said, "Now, I'll leave you two to discuss everything in private. Remember that this room is filmed, by the way." With a wink, he turned and left them just before his name sounded over the intercom.

Kagome's mind was racing. A _year_ off from acting? But...but _Celebration!_ She couldn't just back out now. That part was to her what Twilight had been to Kristen Stewart: a huge push towards A-list stardom!

Not that A-listings would make her life complete, but it would be nice to know that she truly was a great actress, not just a pretty face. And now she was _losing_ the film that could push her past that precipice of talent.

Tears came to her eyes, though she didn't bring up her hand to wipe them away. She tried to keep them behind her gray eyes, but to no avail. As one tracked down her cheek, she saw InuYasha's hand moving towards her face, a sharp-tipped finger gently wiping it away. The soothing gesture pushed her over the edge again, but this time she wasn't just scared.

She was angry. At him, at herself, at everyone. How could this be happening to her? Everything she had worked at would be for none. She would have to claw her way back from the grave she was digging for herself. What could she do but cry?

Deciding to turn her rage at InuYasha, she snarled, "Who the _hell_ do you think you are, telling him that you're my _fiance_? Why, for God's sake, would you tell him such an obnoxious lie?" Her voice rose to a pitch she could only describe as shrieking. "I can't believe you would take advantage of my unconsciousness to spread such a stupid rumor—"

InuYasha's lips descended harshly on hers, punishing. His fingers snaked into her hair, holding her head in his hands to keep her in place for his onslaught. She was shocked into immediate submission, feeling a sudden tightening in the pit of her stomach. She'd always been unable to control her reaction to him. Whenever he was close, whether he was yelling at her or not, that attraction was still just beneath the surface. It was as if their bodies were chemically reactive, charging the air with sparks.

Just as suddenly as the kiss had begun, it ended. Bringing his forehead to meet hers, InuYasha growled lowly, "Would you _shut up_ for five fucking minutes so I can tell you what's going on?" Her eyes instantly narrowed, but he ignored her anger and straightened to his full height. The act intimidated her into silence, if only for the moment that it took for him to start his explanation.

"Kagome, I doubt that you wanted anyone to know about your collapse on set that day, so I had to be in a position that no one dared argue with. So, I told the doctor, director, and head of the hospital—that's _all—_that I was your fiance and we had to keep this hush hush. Now, if you wanted to splatter your collapse all over tabloids and the news, I can go tell everyone that I lied and call a reporter right now that will be happy to write the story." His voice was low, and he was obviously trying to hold back his temper, but he sounded reasonable and made sense.

She hated it when he was reasonable and making sense.

Folding her arms over her chest and pouting like a small child, she mumbled, "Don't think I'm going to thank you for any of this." She didn't admit how embarrassed she felt for acting like a child, didn't hint at any such emotion, just looked away from him with that pout on her face.

"Kagome," he said, trying to get her to look at him, having no luck in doing so. "Look at me, Kagome." Again, he was pointedly ignored. "Goddamnit," he snarled. Before she could think of his reaction, his fingers grabbed her chin firmly, but not hard enough to hurt. Suddenly, his face was mere inches from hers, amber orbs glaring into gray ones. "I don't want your damn thanks! I don't care if you think I'm doing this with some ulterior motive! It just seems like _I'm_ the only one that cares about your well-being, who's shaken up seeing you sitting in a hospital bed! It's fucking _ridiculous_ how hard you're pushing yourself to prove to me that you don't need me!"

His words stunned her into silence while her mind flew around the harsh light he shined on the truth. Yes, she _had_ been pushing herself the past three years to prove to him that she didn't need him in her life to be happy. She didn't _need_ his marriage of convenience that he had suggested their last night together.

Memories, still as fresh in her mind as they had been when they'd happened, flooded through her head, bringing her back to a world where the only thing that mattered had been, well, him.

_Gasp! A FLASHBACK?_

She laid her head on his chest, her hand resting just below his ribs. A smile was on her face; she was always smiling when he was around. Cuddling closer to him, she had to force herself not to look at the clock. She knew that their time together was limited, but she didn't want to let this precious little time they had worrying. She could just pretend that they could be together all night and wake to each other in the morning. But she would always know better in the back of her mind. "I should probably be going," she murmured with a sigh, starting to turn away from him.

His body followed hers, rising above her. "You don't have to leave, you know," he whispered softly, his head moving down to the crook of her neck. Placing light kisses there, he added, "You _could_ just spend the night here...with me." His kisses became more insistent and moved up to her ear.

Half-distracted, she replied quietly, "InuYasha, you know I can't do that. I don't want people knowing that we're seeing each other. Especially since I just got a part in a movie _you _are backing." Despite her words, her hands went to his cheeks, pulling his mouth to hers. They just laid there, naked and necking, until InuYasha pulled away. "What's wrong?" Kagome asked, pleasure filling her at the sight of him.

Keeping most of his weight on his forearms, he draped himself across her, gently toying with a strand of her ebony hair. "I've just been wondering what it would be like to actually wake up with you next to me. Just think of what we could do." His voice was husky and low, an invitation all its own. "I could just wake up to you lying there, not even awake yet. Watching you wake up—I bet I could just _see_ your mind turning on when I slowly bring my hand down"—his fingers glided teasingly down her stomach until they rested just above her core—"and you'd wake up to nothing but pleasure."

As he spoke, he slid a finger inside of her, smirking at her quick intake of breath. Pulling back, he teased her with it before adding a second. With a slow pump of his hand, he mumbled, "I bet you'd _love_ that. I can see how much right now on your face. You would get that dreamy smile on your face like you have now and I would do so much more." He shifted slightly, his hand moving faster and harder. Her breath caught and he kissed her, hard. Then his mouth trailed lower, to her jaw, then her neck.

Before he could get much farther, a beeping caught both their attentions, though Kagome didn't care.

InuYasha growled lowly as the beeping continued. Moving his torso off of her and his fingers out of her, he leaned to the edge of the bed he'd been occupying moments earlier and squeezed his phone in his hand. He didn't even flinch as he destroyed the BlackBerry.

He moved back on top of her, but her hands flew to his shoulders, pushing at him. "What are you doing, InuYasha? What if that was an emergency? And you can't just _demolish_ a phone for no reason! Let me up!"

He snarled, but didn't move. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave, Kagome? Every goddamn time you come here, suddenly you need to race off before sunrise! Why?" His demand held a lethal quality to it.

She blinked in surprise at him; it was the first time he'd ever yelled at her so fiercely. She quickly shook off her shock. "Oh, I don't know, InuYasha. Maybe because it would look tacky and unseemly if I dragged myself out of your bed in the morning to go to my house to get ready for the day?" Blowing out a frustrated breath, Kagome rolled herself out from under him.

As she was reaching for her clothes, she heard the most frightening words she'd ever known in her life.

"You know, if we got married, this wouldn't be a problem."

She turned slowly towards him, hoping, praying that he hadn't just said that. "Wh-what did you say?" Her heart beat ferociously in her chest as fear and anxiety coiled within her. He wasn't going to ask her to marry him, was he? This wasn't leading to one of those conversations where she had to explain her diversion for marriage and children, was it?

His words effectively broke through that barrier of anxiousness, however.

"Let's get married so we don't _have _to sneak around. You could just stay the night here every night and we could be together all night." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. "Besides, you won't have to worry about being 'couch cast' or whatever you called it because you wouldn't be working anymore."

Just like that, the fear was replaced with raw fury. Not only did he want to take away her independence, but he wanted her to give up her _acting_? The only _stable _thing in her life up to that point?

With tears in her eyes, she gathered her clothes swiftly and hissed, "I can't _believe_ you just proposed _marriage_ to me so you could keep me _in your bed_?" Turning away from him, she muttered, "You can take your so-called proposal and shove it up your conceited ass, Taisho! I would _never_ give up my career _for you_!"

She stomped into the bathroom, locking the door and ignoring his demands that she open the door as she put on her clothes. Then, without turning back to look at him—knowing that would be her downfall—Kagome Higurashi left InuYasha's home and felt her heart break.

_The end of the flashback?_

"-and now you think that I'll just let you run around killing yourself? No."

Kagome was snapped out of her memories just in time to hear those words. She shook her head, which he must have taken as a denial because his mouth opened to viciously tear into her again. "How...how did you _explain_ that we were engaged?" she asked calmly, cutting him off at the pass. "How did you explain no formal announcement and"-she looked down at her ring finger-"and the lack of a ring?" She wiggled her finger in his face for emphasis.

InuYasha rolled his eyes, as if she should already know the answers. "We don't want the paparazzi hounding us, do we, Kagome? And you were filming when you collapsed; you would _never_ wear personal jewelry during a shoot." Again, he looked almost amused at her confusion.

Turning the conversation in a different direction because she honestly didn't know what to say, she said, "And how will you explain us leaving right now and suddenly not being engaged? Don't you think that will be a little fishy?"

His face stiffened and a frown pulled at his mouth. _Hmm, that's new,_ Kagome thought about the wrinkle between his brows. But before she could say anything, he smirked wildly and said, "Actually, we aren't going to be ending this engagement quite this quickly."

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next update: _Engagement

**Preview**

"You're clinically insane, InuYasha Taisho. Oh my God, I'm stuck in a hospital bed with a psycho leaning over me." Kagome's eyes searched frantically around the room as if some portal would open up and suck her to someplace safe. He couldn't _truly_ mean that he would use this to keep her tied to him, could he?

He raised an eyebrow at her. "A little dramatic today, aren't we?" Rolling his eyes, he murmured, "I'm going to make a proposition to you-"

"Oh, no, you won't _proposition_ me into marrying you!" Her interruption went unnoticed.

"-because I know how worried you are about the filming for _Celebration!_"

That caught her attention. Was he...was he a producer for that one, too? "Wh-what do you mean, InuYasha?"

He smiled, showing all his teeth and fangs. "I think we can help each other out with our personal...predicaments."


	3. Engagement

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha.

_This story is based off _Return Engagement by **Kay Hooper.  
**_Here is chapter three, which begins with fulfillment to that cliffhanger last chapter. I hope you all enjoy!_

**Engagement**

Kagome gaped at InuYasha as his words sank in. What had he meant by that? Did he seriously intend to force her into a marriage she didn't want? "You...You're clinically insane," she breathed in disbelief. Trying to sit upright in her hospital bed only to have him stop her, she cried, "Oh my God, I'm stuck in a hospital bed with a psycho leaning over me." Kagome's eyes searched frantically around the room as if some portal would open up and suck her to someplace safe. She couldn't believe that he had meant what he'd said. Surely, he couldn't _truly _mean to keep her tied to him...could he?

As if amused, he raised an eyebrow at her. "A little dramatic today, aren't we?" Rolling his eyes when she simply searched the room a second time, he murmured, "I'm going to make a proposition to you—" The sound of his voice was cut off by her sudden words.

"Oh, no, you won't _proposition _me into marrying you!" However, her interruption went unnoticed as he continued his explanation as if he were a train and she were a mere penny on the rails.

"-because I know how worried you are about the filming of _Celebration!_"

That caught her attention. How had he known that she'd gotten the lead part for such a brilliant movie? It hadn't been published to any magazine or newspaper. Then she remembered how she even knew him. Was he...was he a producer for that one, too? "Wh-what do you mean, InuYasha?" she asked slowly, still wary of that smirk on his face.

Corners of his lips turning upward, he smiled at her, showing all his teeth and fangs like a wolf might if he were about to devour a lamb. "I think we can help each other out with our personal...predicaments," he answered smugly. She could see the knowledge in his eyes that she would do anything to protect her role and he would no doubt use that in whatever game he was playing.

"And how's that?" she hissed, eyes narrowing as suspicion crept through her mind. If he wanted her to sell herself to him for nothing more than a movie role, she would cast him aside as she had many others who had come onto her and tried to tantalize her with their careers in the film industry. She would not be cast for anything but her talent.

He stood, watching her with his arms crossed over his chest and a satisfied curl to his lips. "As you have undoubtedly realized, I am backing _Celebration!_ as my own personal project. I've decided that in doing so, _you_ will be an excellent addition to the cast. And I will fight to push filming back until the beginning of the new year to keep you on the movie. I won't risk my profits dropping because we were hasty in shooting. Also, you will have that time to recuperate from this entire"-his voice deepened and a small growl escaped-"ordeal and still have the lead part of Mary."

She couldn't believe he was extending such a favor to her. _Oh, wait; he wants me to marry him because of a stupid movie? Not even_ Celebration!_ is worth that. _"I think you're missing what I was saying, _Mr. Taisho_," she snarled. "I _won't _marry you, not even for this movie."

"I didn't say anything about marrying me."

His words stopped any other words that would have left her mouth. But...he wanted to be engaged, but not get married? "InuYasha, you don't make any sense. You just asked me to continue being your supposed fiancee-"

"Yes, but I want it to be a fake engagement that will get my mother to stop throwing every available woman I'm not related to at me." He shuddered in disgust. "You have no idea what it's like to go home to our ranch and have my mother and father setting me up on a blind date. They are dying for grandchildren and my half-brother Sesshomaru and his wife have decided not to have any, so I'm the only heir apparent. But before they can get grandchildren from me, I need to be married. So, I just need a scent to send them down the wrong trail." He shrugged as if this were the most plausible reasoning for such a farce.

_His mother and father want him to...? But why _me_, of all the women who would have jumped to be at his side?_ "You could have almost _any_ woman do this, InuYasha. So, why me? Other women would _love_ to be your fiancee whether it's for real or fake! And what of that supermodel or whatever that you're dating? Won't she be a little upset if suddenly you're engaged to me?"

He tilted his head in confusion at her, much like his doggy cousins. "Who are you...oh, you mean Kikyo? Nah, she probably doesn't even care. She's got a thing with some doctor that she wants to keep hush hush so she just drags me all around with her. And you answered your own question. I don't want a woman that's going to suddenly take this whole arrangement the wrong way. I want a woman that's going to be able to just walk away after all is said and done without turning to the tabloids. You fit the bill, Kagome." He winked at her. "Who knows, maybe we'll rekindle past passions with this deal."

As she stared at him with her mouth wide open, he walked to the door of the room, opening it before turning to say, "I'll let you think about this deal," he said solemnly, "because once you tell me you're in, I won't let you back out." With that ominous threat looming in the atmosphere of the room, InuYasha walked away from her, leaving her breathing heavily and wondering to herself, _How the hell do I get myself into these situations?_

_Scene Change!_

A call had been made to Kagome's home in Iowa not long after her collapse. They had told her housemate, Sango, that Kagome was in the hospital and explained the situation. Sango had flown—Jack and Jill at her side—to the Las Vegas hospital her friend was being cared for at the first chance she got. Now, there were two highly emotional dogs and an irate woman in the waiting room, nearly tearing the place apart, though the woman had been told to take her pets and destructive attitude elsewhere.

Of course, such a threat was wasted on Sango Taijiya. She'd been raised by the last known patriarchs of a demon slayer village from Feudal Japan and taught that family was more important than any rule or law. If a family member was hurt, the Taijiyas came from all around to protect said relative until they were able to fight for themselves once more. She was an admirable woman, standing at just two inches below six foot with the power and stamina of her ancestors before her. At their home, she had a large boomerang made of demon bones called Hiraikotsu that could cut through almost anything. It was an heirloom, and one she was skilled in the use of.

She was also good with hand-to-hand combat, close combat with weapons, and sneak attacks. Her senses were so tuned that she knew immediately whether someone was trustworthy or not. This had all come at a price, however. When she'd been seventeen, her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins had been killed and she'd been taken hostage. For two years she'd had to withstand torture and torment without using any of the weapons provided to put herself out of her misery. She'd finally trained hard enough to escape, though she'd never met the mastermind behind it all. But she had left a very subtle message for him in the form of his dead allies strewn about where she'd been held. The only thing she hadn't won was her brother, Kohaku, who was still missing.

"Kagome!"

And she was a big old softy for her "little sister" Kagome. She was always protecting her and had taken her under her wing, so to speak. Whenever Kagome was sick or hurt, she went to Sango, and the older woman would fix her and make everything all right once more.

"Sango!" Kagome said with tears in her eyes, reaching her arms up for a hug much as a small child would. Before she knew it, she was swallowed by a bear hug that almost crushed her torso. When she gave a small squeak of pain, Sango immediately loosened her hold, letting a few tears fall onto her friend's shoulder. "How did you-"

Suddenly, the small bed was taken over by two large Collies, who whimpered and curled into her body as if for reassurance. A small meow sounded, as well, telling her that the demon twin-tailed cat that shared their home, Kirara, had also found her way to the hospital.

She laughed slightly as Sango pulled away, wiping at her tears before giving Kagome her best maternal glare. "What the hell did you think you were doing, Kagome Higurashi? You had us all worried sick! If I'd known you were pushing yourself hard enough to land you in this sterile hell, I would have put a stop to all this nonsense! You don't constantly need to be in a movie to prove to some _prick_ that you don't need him! I swear to God, if you ever do this again, I'm going to lock you inside the house for a year! Maybe longer!"

The demon slayers' descendent was breathing heavily and had tense, fisted hands at her side. Kagome knew what would come next, so she tried to put on her best I-didn't-think-it-was-this-bad look, but to no avail.

"You're an _idiot_!" Sango screeched, holding out the last syllable, surely waking every person in the hospital, if not the city.

Jack and Jill burrowed closer to Kagome, whimpering all the harder while Kirara simply looked bored on the chair opposite Kagome's bed. The cat was licking her paw and wiping it just above her red eyes before curling in a ball to sleep. In her kitten form, she was adorable and cute, while her saber-tooth form was...a little more intimidating. She stood as tall as Sango, with fire blazing around her. She could out-roar any lion, any day of the week.

Sango started her tirade on the importance of personal health and the ability of the human body to recuperate sans energy. Kagome, trying to keep her focus on her friend's words so that she could convince her she was going to do her best, could feel her eyelids drooping, a yawn leaving her. She didn't hear Sango's worried pleas with her to tell her what was wrong. Sudden fatigue simply swept over her and she could do nothing but allow herself to be taken away by the calm sensation in her suddenly weightless body.

_Scene Change!_

Sango sighed as her friend drifted off into sleep. At least none of the machines' beeping changed, otherwise she would have been scared. But Kagome obviously couldn't stop the exhaustion anymore, so she would have to wait until her little sister awoke once more to finish her rampage.

Sitting down in the chair beside the bed, the demon slayer was just getting comfortable when the asshole that had pushed Kagome to the point of exhaustion—literally—waltzed into the room as if he owned it. And, from what she already knew of him, he probably could have.

InuYasha Taisho came from a family with a large fortune of old money made all the larger with strong investments. Somehow, he had gotten mixed up with the production industry and now he was considered one of the richest business men in the United States, dabbling not only in films, but also horses, oil, restaurants, cars, and many other big businesses. Almost anywhere you went in the country, any city or state, you would find a little bit of the Taisho influence.

And it annoyed her. She couldn't put her finger on the reason, but something about the fact that everyone around the country knew his name was bothersome. And it didn't help that the "feud" between Kagome and him had put the young starlet in the limelight more than she already had been. She had enough to worry about, for Pete's sake!

"What are _you_ doing here, Taisho?" Sango growled, glaring at him with the ferocity of a mama bear. She could feel the fire of fury swirling around her, keeping her encased as she tried to keep her motions in her jeans and T-shirt as relaxed as possible. She wasn't going to give him the pleasure of seeing that she was beyond comprehensible anger.

He raised an annoyed brow at her as if she were a pesky pet that was jumping all over him. "I'm the one that told them to call you, so I think you should be thanking me. Otherwise you wouldn't even know that this had happened." He spoke so nonchalantly, like he truly wouldn't have cared if she never knew of Kagome's collapse. The air of superiority around him made her want to punch him in the face. Or, better yet, get the Hiraikotsu from above her bed and beat him senseless with it.

Raising the side of her lip in a snarl that could rival any full blooded demon, she replied, "I'll never thank you! You're the one that pushed her to this! If you would have just left her alone at that stupid premiere, she wouldn't have done this to herself! You're just a sadist bastard, knowing you couldn't offer her what she would need!" She stomped until she was face to face with him, standing at least half a foot shorter than him. Stabbing her long-nailed finger into his chest, she continued, "You are such a _prick_! You _knew_ that you wouldn't be giving her anything but a sexual relationship and you thought that was _a good idea_? She was innocent when she met you and now she's more cynical than I am!"

Snarling furiously, InuYasha grabbed her wrist, holding it above her head. "What do you mean, I wouldn't give her anything but that? I asked her to _marry me_ and she ran away! Don't blame this situation on _me_!" Practically throwing her away from him, he sank into the chair across from the bed, forcing Kirara to jump away with an indignant hiss. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he muttered, "You have no idea what I've done to try to slow her down. She needs a goddamned keeper!" He sighed and put his elbows on his knees, as if sharing a secret with her. "I knew her body couldn't take much more of it. Hell, the scent of her fatigue nearly choked me the other day! I _knew_ I should have stopped filming, but I thought maybe she would finish it and realize that something was wrong. Fuck, I'm so _fucking_ stupid!" He leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling.

"Then why didn't you stop her from getting this role? Why didn't you make sure that she would have to take time off!" Sango demanded.

"She would never forgive me if I did that."

Blinking, the demon slayer looked over her shoulder at Kagome, who slept on like the dead. It was true. Kagome was devoted to her career. It had always been her dream, even when they were in college. If she would have found out that InuYasha had stopped her from getting a role, she would have never spoken to him again. Looking back at the obviously guilt-ridden man, she wondered why he would care so much if she didn't forgive him.

"What does it matter to you if she never forgives you? It's not as if you've exactly tried to win her back," she mentioned, poking and prodding for answers. The worry she could sense rolling off him in waves was enough to kick her own worry up.

He looked at her blankly. "Feh. You think I'm going to let such a valuable woman die on the set of one of _my_ movies? That would be bad publicity."

And any hope within her died, replaced by pure rage and feminine indignation. "You pig! She almost died and all you could think about was the bottom line? You're the poorest excuse for a human being I have ever met! Don't you have a heart at all, you selfish asshole?"

He smirked at her, openly displaying his fangs for her to see. "Half-demon, remember ? Your family should have taught you that we don't have the same kind of emotions as the press portrays or what humans believe we should." His smirk disappeared when Kagome moaned lightly in her sleep, bringing him immediately to her side, worry evident on his face. "Kagome? Are you awake?"

"Wh-where were you?" she asked brokenly, blinking her gray eyes open slowly. They filled with tears as she looked up at him, pleading, "I want to go home, InuYasha." Her hands clutched the material of his shirt, dragging him closer so she could softly cry into the cloth. "I don't want to be here anymore! I don't feel like myself."

He slowly stroked her hair, completely forgetting that Sango was just a few feet away, trying to convince herself that his words were true. Because if her little sister, her precious Kagome, had fallen so in love with a heartless hanyou, betrayal and pain were in her future.

And that just wasn't something Sango would allow.

_Scene Change!_

"Kagome, the doctor says you can either come home with me in a few days or go with your _fiance_ to his home, since he can employ a full-time doctor to watch over your progress," Sango was saying, having been filled in with the "engaged" situation when Kagome asked her for advice on the devious plot. Not happy with the proposed situation, she had told her countless times to just let the movie go and move on with her life. There were better roles in her future should she choose to continue in her suddenly dangerous line of work.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome slowly slipped in a pair of jean shorts and tank top that Sango had packed for her. "You don't have to be so negative. Besides, you _know_ how much _Celebration!_ means to me; you can't expect me to drop it just like that. Anyways, I told you that there's no risks to this deal. If InuYasha pushes too far, he knows I won't refrain from cutting off all ties to him right then and there. I can handle myself."

"I just don't like it, that's all," Sango murmured, pouting. "I don't like thinking of you recuperating without me there to watch over you, even if Taisho employs the best doctors in the world to look after you."

A lightbulb flashed in Kagome's head. Since she planned on taking InuYasha up on his offer for a fake engagement, why didn't she just invite Sango to join them? The dogs could come too and that way if he got too grabby, she could let her best friend take care of him. It was foolproof! "Come with! That way, you can watch over me and make sure that villainous Taisho doesn't steal my helpless virtue!"

Both women looked at each other before bursting out laughing, smiling happily wiping away the dark aura from before.

InuYasha appeared in the doorway as the women spoke of who would pay for the airfare and how much of a pig he was. Clearing his throat, he said, "The limo's outside, Kagome. We have to get going before the paparazzi wonder what's going on." He held out his hand to her for her to take.

"All right. You have to give Sango your address and phone number so she can get there all right," Kagome said coolly, stepping to his side but refusing his hand. "We'll also need Innova adult dog food for Jack and Jill. Oh, and Kirara will need a bed, otherwise she'll just choose one at random and kick whoever owns it out."

A tick began over InuYasha's eye. "What do you mean by all that? They aren't coming with us." He grabbed her arm to stop her from walking away, glaring down at her with annoyance and frustration.

"Yes, they are. And if they don't, I won't be going with you, either."

Letting go of her arm, he growled and stomped away, muttering something about waiting in the limo for Kagome to be ready to go.

She knew she was pushing him a little too hard, but it was the least she could do, considering that he was forcing her into this whole scheme of his. Though she refused to admit it aloud, she was worried. What if the paparazzi found out? Or worse, what if his family didn't like her? She'd read that his mother was quite protective of her son, as was his father. They were a close knit family, she knew, and if his parents didn't like her, that would mean-

Why was she worrying whether his family liked her or not? It wasn't as if they were going to be seeing that much of her after all this anyways. In fact, once they broke off their "engagement", they would never see her again except in her movies, if they would ever watch them. But something didn't bode well with the thought of any of them not liking her. They meant so much to InuYasha and she wanted to, as well.

She froze where she stood, barely hearing Sango's worried voice asking, "Are you all right, Kagome?". She knew why she cared so much about how his family felt. She knew why she was certain something would go wrong with this farce they were now a part of. She knew why her heart beat so rapidly whenever he was near. And it might just kill her.

She was still in love with him and she could never tell him.

_I hope you all liked this rather forced (at least, that's how I feel about it!) chapter! Next update:_ Meeting His Parents

**Preview**

Kagome could do nothing but stare in disbelief at the rolling ranch that she was now stepping onto. It was huge! Her own land seemed miniscule in comparison.

But what surprised her even more was the beautiful couple standing just before her.

The woman was maybe Kagome's height, if not a little shorter, in a floral pink V-neck sundress with T-shirt sleeves. Long black hair reached nearly to the ground and warm brown eyes smiled at the newcomer. She was pale with only the slightest hint of color, but looked like a movie star nonetheless. It was almost intimidating to know that this was the woman that had given birth to InuYasha.

The man, in contrast to his wife's completely welcoming aura, seemed to be prepared for anything. His alert amber eyes were trained on her and a smile was in place on his face, but she felt as though he was watching everything around them, just waiting for danger to show itself. His long silver-white hair was in a high ponytail, reaching halfway down his back.

"You must be Kagome! We're so glad we could finally meet you!" InuYasha's mother cried, racing from under her husband's protective arm to embrace Kagome, making the younger woman feel horrible for someday destroying the utter happiness on the mother's face.


	4. Meeting His Parents

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha.

_This is based off _Return Engagement** by Kay Hooper. Enjoy!**  
**Meeting His Parents**

They had been in the car for an hour and a half. They'd taken three _different_ planes just to get into Texas since they'd left Las Vegas. InuYasha had insisted, saying that it was the only way to completely escape the paparazzi and keep his parents private residence a secret. She'd reluctantly agreed with his logic and allowed him to escort her on both planes. Anyone that might have recognized them didn't say anything, despite their public feud and a few photographers at the first airport had gotten pictures of them holding hands.

Holding hands. Like two teenagers rather than fully grown adults. She was so entranced by her thoughts of how she felt about him that she didn't even mind that they'd gotten pictures of her left hand that now housed a diamond the size of InuYasha's home state.

He had told her that his great grandfather had given it to his "mate"-what demons had called their wives way back when-to symbolize his ownership-another little insight into demon pairings. It definitely looked millennia old, but somehow still modern. He explained that when his father had given it to his mother, he'd asked that the gold and diamond be the same as they had been, but with several much smaller diamonds on either side of the foremost, giving the ring an ancient-modern twist.

Completely lost in her thoughts, the young actress didn't notice that they were now on a long, gravel driveway. She continued staring at her hand, moving it in either impatience or discomfort, until InuYasha's voice invaded her very person.

"If you'd take your eyes off that stupid ring, you'd see that we're here." His voice was gruff, no doubt from her forced distance. But she had to keep that distance between them or else he would know what she was trying to hide from him in a split second. Love was a scary thing, one she would like to keep to herself.

Opening her door, she finally looked up and Kagome could do nothing but stare in disbelief at the rolling ranch that she was now stepping onto. It was huge! Her own land seemed miniscule in comparison. But she supposed that it needed to be, considering how large the Victorian house standing only two hundred yards away from her was. There were two floors that she could see, though she guessed that there was a basement since they were in Tornado Alley. The windows were all large, giving the house a warm, friendly grow that overpowered any bad feelings. There were pillars where the stairs met the wrap-around deck that seemed to surround it. It was bright white, as if freshly painted, with a tree on both sides of the structure, just close enough for them to brush the roof. Several windows were opened on the main floor, but she guessed that was where the kitchen stood. The door was a warm, inviting yellow and she was beginning to suspect that it was InuYasha's mother's favorite color.

The beautiful home surprised her, but what surprised her even more was the beautiful couple standing just before her.

The woman was maybe Kagome's height, if not a little shorter, in a floral print pink V-neck sundress with T-shirt sleeves. She wore no shoes and seemed perfectly content with it. Long black hair reached nearly to the ground and warm brown eyes smiled at the newcomer. She was pale with only the slightest hint of color, but looked better than any movie star nonetheless. She was slender, but toned, hinting that she would also work doing small chores around the ranch rather than just in the house. Her movements were all graceful and she looked as if she were royalty from long ago. It was almost intimidating to know that this was woman who had given birth to InuYasha.

The man, in contrast to his wife's completely welcoming aura, seemed to be prepared for anything. His alert amber eyes, the same as InuYasha's, were trained on her and a smile was in place on his face, but she felt as if he were watching everything around them, just waiting for danger to show itself. His long, silver-white hair was in a high pony-tail, reaching halfway down his back. Yet the long hair didn't add any illusion of femininity to him, just as it didn't his youngest son. He was tanner than his wife, but not by much and it was accentuated by the purple markings on his face, a crescent moon on his forehead and two strips on either cheek. They looked as if they were scars, but she knew his oldest son, Sesshomaru, also had them. To add to his powerful aura, this man had strong, broad shoulders with a lean waist and couldn't have seemed more like a solider in full garb than he did in a black T-shirt and dark, loose jeans.

"You must be Kagome! We're so glad we could finally meet you!" InuYasha's mother cried, racing from under her husband's protective arm to embrace Kagome, making the younger woman feel horrible for someday destroying the utter happiness on the mother's face.

"Mom, give her some room. She isn't used to strangers hugging her," InuYasha muttered, seemingly already defeated, despite his words.

"Oh, nonsense!" the woman replied as InuYasha's father made his way over. She waved off her son and husband with a caring smile, though she didn't look away from her "future daughter-in-law". "You boys can bring in her bags; I want to talk with her before you get the chance to steal her away! I'm Izayoi Taisho, InuYasha's mother. And this"-she gestured to the imposing man now carrying her luggage-"is my husband and InuYasha's father Inu Taisho." When Kagome cracked a small smile, Izayoi returned it, leaning in to stage whisper, "Yes, he knows how ridiculous his name is, but he was born in Japan a _very_ long time ago, so it was almost normal then. To demon families, I suppose," she added, rolling her eyes. She started leading Kagome inside and talking very fast about her husband's past and demon aging.

Surprised, the actress asked, "Demons can really live that long? But doesn't that mean he'll outlive you? And he has to be _so_ much older than you!" Something about Izayoi made Kagome feel very welcome, very at peace, so she didn't feel too awkward asking questions.

The demon's wife blinked her eyes at the younger woman. "Outlive me? Hasn't InuYasha told you anything about demon 'marriages'? Most of them-since demons _are _able to live so much longer-use a special ritual that ties lifespans together. I age as slowly as Inu, and if he dies, I do. And as for the age difference, I was born in Feudal Japan, so he's not so much older than me."

Kagome's eyes widened. "So the Taisho family's 'old money' is actually-"

"Yes, it's money Inu and I have made for ourselves. Of course, the demon ritual isn't exactly well-known since there are so few demon-human marriages, so I can understand where you would have gotten confused." Izayoi smiled maternally, stopping to give Kagome a one armed hug as Inu and InuYasha strode past carrying all four of her bags quite easily, though they had been almost impossible for her to carry out of her house. "Now, InuYasha told us that your friend is coming as well? Good thing, too; I'm positively sick of only male companions. Don't get me wrong, they're good for _some_ things, but they absolutely _refuse_ to go shopping with me." The older woman rolled her eyes as if this were the most annoying thing on the planet.

Smiling, Kagome followed her the rest of the way into the house without saying much. She simply listened as Izayoi explained the house and its importance in history, though she didn't brag. Instead, Kagome learned that Inu had been unconcerned with human wars, his loyalty to his land and his family. However, Izayoi had been strictly Union. So, to appease his mate, he'd allowed her to be a part of the Underground Railroad, scaring off any officer who might have tried to take Izayoi to jail. Of course, few of the travelers trusted a woman that would knowingly marry a demon, so it hadn't been very successful.

"C'mon, Kagome. I'll show you to our room."

InuYasha's voice was harsh, immediately breaking into her thoughts. She looked over at him as if she'd never seen him before, then shook her head to clear it. She was so entranced by the devoted look on Izayoi's face whenever she spoke of Inu, wondering if that's how she looked when she talked about InuYasha. _Note to self: don't talk about InuYasha. Ever._

Ever since her realization that she was still head-over-heels for him, she'd gone to great measure to refrain from doing anything that might give him a hint as to what she was feeling. It had been difficult, but she had repeated her mantra of being an actress in her head countless times to stave off any weakness.

"All right." She followed him through the maze of hallways, trying to keep up with his quick strides. "Slow down, would you? Otherwise I'll get lost and then you'll have to explain to your mother what this little scheme is about ahead of schedule." She noted and hated the bitterness in her tone, furious that it hadn't come out as a sarcastic remark as it had been intended.

Suddenly, he spun to face her, a look of complete rage flashing on his face. Looking as if he was trying to contain himself, he growled, "Once we get into the bedroom, we'll talk about what exactly you did down there." Then he turned on his heel and continued stalking down the hall, ignoring her jogging steps to keep up with him.

_What _I _did? What did I_ _do? _Confusion assailed her as they finally entered what InuYasha had dubbed Their Room. She was unable to voice her opinion as his fingers wrapped around her wrist and yanked her forcefully into the room. The door slammed behind her with a finality that sent shivers up her spine. _He's really angry_, she realized. _I don't know how, but I made him really angry._

His face only a few inches from hers, he snarled, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Kagome? If you're such a good actress, why can't you keep something like this from _my father_, who you haven't even fucking _spoken_ to!" His hands were on her shoulders, one set of fingers tangling in the hair there almost absently.

"Would you stop shouting at me? I have no idea what you're talking about!" Kagome shouted back, finally finding her thoughts. Then, in a lower voice, she asked, "Why do you say that? It isn't like your father can read my mind and it's not like I'm going to tell him." Hoping his fuming would end when he heard her rationality, she was surprised when he gave a harsh laugh.

"Are you dumb?" he growled, following suit in keeping his voice quiet. "We're _dog _demons. We can _smell_ emotions, and you practically _reek_ of guilt and pain. He's already asked me questions about it. I told him because you had to slow production. But there's only so long _that_ will last." His voice seemed to drift off, as if he were thinking about it.

Rolling her eyes, she asked in a polite, clipped voice, "So you suggest I do _what_ exactly? It's not like I can change how I _feel_. I can make it look like I actually care about you, but I can't make myself feel it." _Liar._ That voice in her head was definitely starting to get on her nerves.

InuYasha raised an eyebrow at her. "That's funny, because Father said you smelled very much in love with me and that I was a lucky man."

That statement stopped her in her tracks. _Surely...he can't mean that. He's just trying to scare me._ And it was working. Her heart beat faster as she stumbled through a hasty retort. "Well, maybe it's because I was thinking about Kouga. I have feelings for him, you know." _Platonic feelings, a bond like mine and Sango's, nothing like the one I feel for you._ Technically, she wasn't lying, so hopefully he couldn't smell it.

InuYasha's lip lifted in a snarl, fingers tightening in her hair. "Don't _ever _lie to me like that again. Otherwise, I'll kill your precious _wolf, _stuff him, and put him in my goddamned living room!"

Furious that he would dare to act in such a way, Kagome hissed, "Don't forget, InuYasha, that I'm not _your_ property. Just because you were my first doesn't mean I have to follow _your_ rules about _my _love life! If I want to fall in love with Kouga, marry Kouga, or even just _fuck_ Kouga, there's nothing _you_ can do to stop me!" Trying to twist out of his hold, she found herself pulled closer. "Let go of me, you bastard! I'm leaving!"

With a dark smirk, InuYasha glared down at her. "Oh, you think so, do you? Already missing your wolf boy?" His head lowered until their lips almost touched. "If you love _him _so much, why are you here with _me_?"

Then his lips were on hers, punishing her with their severity. Instead of the almost hesitant way he had grabbed her hand at the airport, his touch this time knew exactly where to go and what to do. One hand was tangled in her hair, holding her in place as he forced her lips open. The other, however, was busy on the small of her back, rocking her stomach against him, just the way he'd done years before whenever they'd finally gotten time alone.

"Inu...Yasha," Kagome murmured against his lips before her hands flew to his head, pulling him closer. She didn't know why she gave in so easily, why she allowed him this power over her. All she knew was that she needed to get closer to him, to force all the love and passion she felt for him into his body so he would feel the same about her. If he could just walk away from this without batting an eye, she knew that she would break ever more thoroughly than she had before. Only this time, she didn't know if she could make it through the pain.

Tears filled her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. She wouldn't ruin this moment they had by giving into the hurt. Even though she knew he was only jealous of something that he didn't know was his, that all he cared about was showing her that _he _was the best, she wanted to pretend he actually did love her, that after this was all over, they could be together.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I wish to speak with your fiancee, InuYasha."

The authority of Inu's voice shocked the pair out of the moment, Kagome shoving away from InuYasha in self-disgust. _I can't believe I gave in to him that easily! I'm such an idiot._ Then she realized what the demon lord had said and froze. He wanted to speak with _her_? Did he already know what had happened? No doubt he would kick her out of his home, maybe even ruin her life. With the kind of money he had, there wasn't any doubt in her mind that he could do so.

"Father—"

"I said, my son, that I would like to speak with Kagome."

While said girl watched in shock, InuYasha left without a word, obviously very respectful of his father. Either that, or very scared of him.

Once InuYasha was out of earshot, Inu turned to Kagome, watching her with knowing amber eyes. "You love my son," he stated plainly, his gaze never wavering. "Yet you hide your feelings for him behind deceit. If you are to be his wife, why would you do so?"

Fingers twirling together uncomfortably, Kagome said, "I...I...Sir, I don't know what to tell you. Honestly, there's so much that InuYasha hasn't told me. I didn't even know about the lifespan thing and...I just have no idea what I've gotten myself in to." Her words were fast, insecure. She tried to stand up straighter, to bring confidence into her posture, but she was just so _weary_.

"I know that you are not telling myself or my mate everything. For now, I will give you your privacy, but I warn you that if you hurt my family, nothing will stop me from destroying your career. However, if InuYasha is the one to hurt you," he said, moving back towards the door, "I will make sure he suffers just as much as you have. You deserve my help just as much as he does, if not more so." His head lowered for a moment before he murmured, "After how I treated his mother, he has no idea how to treat a mate properly."

With that, he left Kagome in complete silence, his pain lingering in the air. She turned from the door, trying to shut out the guilt that Inu's brief talk with her had instilled. Clamping her eyes closed, she felt a few tears leak from them, running down her face. She couldn't keep this facade up. She couldn't hurt these people who had obviously been hurt in the past as well. Especially now that Inu had shared with her something so personal.

_He blames himself for how InuYasha acts?_

"Ah, I'm sorry for intruding. I thought that perhaps InuYasha was in. Could you possibly be his beautiful, young fiancee?"

Kagome's eyes flew to the doorway, her cheeks still wet. Staring at the man standing there, she backed away a little, asking quietly, "Who...who are you?"

He smiled kindly at her, staying just beyond the doorway. "How rude of me," he said, pausing to formally bow. "I am Miroku Kazzana. You must be Kagome Higurashi."

_I'm so sorry for how long this took! I just got my Internet back, so I hope you all will stop hating me! Next Update:_ Fighting Among Friends

**Preview**

InuYasha, after his father sent him back to find Kagome, was furious. His rage couldn't be contained after what he had seen. His best friend had _dared_ to touch _Kagome_? He would rip out Miroku's throat with his teeth.

Then he smelt Kagome's tears. The salt-water smell assailed him, making his anger turn to himself.

"Here is InuYasha, Kagome. Maybe you should cry on his shoulder rather than my own."

Gray eyes met amber from across the room, one pair filled with tears and the other with sadness. InuYasha wanted to run to her side, to cradle her against his chest and make all her pain go away. But he knew that he couldn't. She would never accept his help without asking first.

With that thought, he was angry once again.


	5. Fighting Among Friends

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha.

_This is based off _Return Engagement **by Kay Hooper**.

_Last chapter was just so long in the making. I apologize profusely to all my readers!_

**Fighting Among Friends**

"I'm Miroku Kazzana. You must be Kagome Higurashi." The man standing before her, probably only a few years older than herself, bowed slightly, smiling charmingly. She noticed that his brown hair was pulled back in a tiny ponytail at the nape of his neck. He had two small hoop earrings in one ear that added to the not-quite-a-gentleman look he carried himself with. A deep purple button shirt was untucked, one edge stuck in the black belt holding up his slacks, as if he had forgotten to completely pull his shirt from the waistband.

Ever polite but still wary, Kagome held out her hand to him. "Yes, I'm Kagome Higurashi. You must be surprised to suddenly find he and I engaged after such a feud," she said, testing the waters. If he knew about The Arrangement, then he would no doubt say so. If he didn't know, then she wasn't giving away any unnecessary information.

Miroku took her hand, shaking it firmly. "Actually, no. I always knew you two would get married. It was evident from the very beginning. Plus, InuYasha's been going on about it for some time, talking about finding you a keeper." He laughed good heartedly as he let go of her hand. "If you knew InuYasha as long as I have, you'd know that's him practically screaming his undying devotion to a woman."

_If only you knew how little that actually meant..._ "Oh, well, he has always been a pain. Telling me what to do, yelling at me, that sort of thing. So I suppose he _will_ be a good keeper, should I choose to use him as such." She knew she was talking with the usual polite indifference that she used whenever she was lying. She couldn't help it, though. This Miroku—InuYasha's oldest friend, as far as she knew—could dig a lot deeper into this than she was comfortable with. If he knew what they were doing to the Taisho family...he would probably be disgusted.

"He loves you, you know."

Had he read her so easily? Had he seen her insecurity, misread her sadness? Maybe he thought that she just didn't feel that the half-demon loved her while she was willing to lay her life down for him. _Not exactly untrue, I guess,_ she thought sarcastically. But to know that his best friend was acting so happy for him and it was all a charade...she couldn't stop the tears from forming in her eyes.

Sinking down to the side of the bed, the raven-haired actress put her head in her hands, trying to hide some of her embarrassment over her sudden breakdown. "I just don't know if I believe it. Sometimes it just seems like...like...like I'm a _trophy_ or something! I just can't deal with this kind of pressure! I'm not sure how long I can keep up this act." She gave a small, bitter laugh. "And I'm supposed to be an actress."

Miroku's weight—somehow comforting—sank down beside her, one arm wrapped around her shoulders while the other held her arm in a platonic fashion. Giving a brotherly squeeze, he said quietly, "Believe me, I know InuYasha. He may never tell you flat out that he loves you, but just know that he's never acted like this with any other woman, not even Kikyo before they parted. He has never brought a woman home to meet his parents, thinking it much too sacred for anyone other than the woman they'll need to get used to.

"I remember the first time you two broke up. For days, he would snap at everyone, just a breath from losing his control every moment. Since then, it's steadily gotten better with each movie you worked on with him, until this last time. He told me about your collapse but"-the brown-haired man held up a hand before she could break in-"don't worry, I won't tell another soul. He was frantic. He refused to leave the hospital; I think he even bought off some of the staff so that he could keep you in a private room. The first time you showed signs of waking, he called his mother to make arrangements for he and his fiancee to come visit for a few months. I work here, keeping the men in line and the like, so I knew all about your 'condition' as InuYasha likes to call it."

_That...that arrogant asshole! So positive I would agree to this despicable plan of his..._

"Oh, hello, InuYasha." Miroku's abrupt use of her fake fiance's name snapped her out of her furious thoughts quickly, her head swinging to look at the door. And when she saw the half-demon's rigid stance, she knew he was just as furious as her.

_Scene Change!_

InuYasha, after his father sent him back to find Kagome, was furious. His rage couldn't be contained after what he had seen. He had walked to his room expecting to find Kagome either seriously frightened or seriously pissed. Instead, she was sitting on the side of the bed with another man's arms around her, rubbing one shoulder. His best friend had _dared_ to touch _Kagome_? He would rip out Miroku's throat with his teeth and lay it at her feet like an offering. At least, that's what his instincts demanded he do.

"Oh, hello, InuYasha," Miroku said pleasantly, as if he weren't doing something that he should be killed for. The other man gave the half-demon a sharp look, making InuYasha go ramrod straight with rage. His woman's head suddenly turned towards him and her wide eyes were taking in his stance with a certain amount of fear.

Then he smelt Kagome's tears. The salt-water smell assailed him, making his anger turn to himself. He should have come back faster if she was crying. He would break his father's nose if it was his fault...

"Here is InuYasha, Kagome. Maybe you should cry on his shoulder rather than my own." Pain assailed InuYasha at the reminder that _he hadn't been there for her_.

Gray eyes met amber from across the room, one pair filled with tears and the other with sadness. InuYasha wanted to run to her side, to cradle her against his chest and make all her pain go away. But he knew that he couldn't. She would never accept his help without asking first.

With that thought, he was angry once again. She would take comfort from a _stranger_ but never from her _mate_. And no matter what she said, they were mates. The moment she had agreed to this "fake" engagement, he'd become more persistent in keeping her tied to him forever. He wouldn't lose her to that mangy wolf, Miroku, or some human she might fall in love with. She was _his_ and he was damn sure gonna make sure that it stayed that way.

"Leave, Miroku," InuYasha ordered forcefully. Not caring whether Kagome was afraid or angry any longer, he added, "And close the door when you leave." He had no plans of letting her escape what he had to say to her. She would listen to him, damnit, or else he might go insane.

Without a word, the man nodded and rose, leaving the room. When the door closed and the automatic lock gave a _click, _it seemed to be the thing that completely destroyed any tact he might have potentially had. He knew his body was shaking, that he was almost to that point where he didn't care whether he hurt her or not. _Keep as calm as possible,_ he thought.

"What the fuck was that?" he demanded, stomping to stand just in front of her. _So much for "calm"._ "Since when did you start allowing strange men to sit in bed with you? Isn't that a little personal for the first date?" _Shut up, shut up, shut up! If you push too hard, she'll break. If she breaks, _you_ will break, _a voice spoke within his mind, talking to him as if it weren't fully him, only a small part of him.

She shocked him by actually slapping him. An open-palmed, biting, painful slap that burned his face for a long moment. Somehow, she'd gotten to her feet and hit him with a movement so fluid, he hadn't even seen it coming. He kept his head where it had swung to, keeping his eyes hidden from her beneath his bangs, even when her shaking voice reached his ears. "Don't you _ever_ insinuate something like that about me ever again, InuYasha. You have no right to say things like that." The quiver in her voice now held a healthy dose of resentment.

In the blink of an eye, InuYasha had her pinned on the bed, his teeth bared. That voice in his head was replaced with one much darker, more potent. _How _dare_ she. Your mate, your woman, treating you as if you were nothing more than a misbehaving animal. Teach her that she will not be allowed to act as such!_

The thought was tempting. Teaching the little hellcat what it was like to truly infuriate him. If he had been able to see his own features, he would notice the demonic tinge coming to them as the thoughts began to accumulate and strengthen. _I shouldn't even have been apart from her for so long. She was _mine_ and she thought that she could just leave. As if I could allow that. She is _mine.

_Breaking. Breaking,_ that softer voice said once more. _She will break and so will you. Let go of the woman and apologize._

_ Apologies for _her_ trespasses? He is not some animal to be brushed aside. He should be her master! He should be allowed to keep her as close as he wishes, keeping her locked to him for eternity. She is his mate, his one and only._

Kagome's words were cut off by the sound in his head. As they fought, he clenched his eyes closed, feeling something surging inside him. His hold tightened on the woman's wrists and she gasped, trying to squirm away, though she had no chance. He idly wondered if he would break them, if that was what the voice was saying. _Breaking, breaking, breaking,_ it seemed to chant as he tried to open his eyes.

_Teach her!_

The dark voice seemed to overpower him and his fangs suddenly burst from his mouth, the claws growing longer, stronger, and sharper. He could sense his woman's fear, but the primal thing taking hold of his mind didn't care. Without hesitating, his eyes snapped fully open, his gaze shrouded in red. All he could remember was the feeling of her hand connecting solidly with the side of his face. _Not an animal...not to be treated as such,_ he thought, snarling.

_Breaking! Breaking!_ The other voice seemed to be shouting in his ear, though it was much farther away. _Mate breaking!_

"You are...mine," he hissed, his voice overshadowed by a harsher one as he brought each of her wrists into one of his hands. Flexing his fingers tipped with newly elongated talons, he sliced through the tough material of her jeans, opening them on the side of one leg.

Her cry of terror and pain tore through him, though he knew he hadn't so much as nicked her with his claw.

_Broken. Small, broken._

Finally taking a long, thorough look at her face, InuYasha realized what the voice had meant. He could see the emotions of betrayal and hurt clearly in her features, burning an image into his mind. She looked so vulnerable, so overwhelmed with sadness and fear. Knowing that her trust in him was disappearing, he shoved himself forcefully away.

_I'd almost...and she had no way of fighting...I'm a monster._

He took a hard look at the hands that had no doubt bruised her tender flesh. The claws were still much too long for him to be normal once more. He clenched and unclenched them, wishing that he could prove that they weren't his. Surely, he hadn't almost destroyed her trust in him. It couldn't have been him. He would never...

_It is a part of you, just as I am,_ the gentler voice said, though it seemed to be disgusted with him. _We are the two mingling forces within you, neither good nor evil, simply human and demon. We are the essences given by either of your parents and you're decisions always concern us. I am the human heart that resides within you while he is the demon instinct. You cannot escape us, no matter how you think you can._

Glancing at where Kagome lay, still in the position he had forced her into on the bed, he felt shame and disgust fill him. Sucking in a hard breath, he shook his head and backed another few feet from her. _I shouldn't even be allowed near her. They should tear me away from her, no matter how I fight. I'm despicable._

_Scene Change!_

Kagome clenched her eyes shut, simply lying there and trying to stop the savage bating of her heart in her chest. _He...he nearly...but it wasn't _him_. It was as if he were someone else._ The vision of his lost control, the red eyes and too big to be contained fangs, was imprinted behind her lids, the only thing she could see. Horrified at the too recent memory, she opened her eyes, hoping to banish the sight from her mind.

She was afraid to look at him, believing she would only find another demon taking over his body. _That's what it is,_she thought. _Something took control of him and I don't know when it will reappear._

"I-Inu...Yasha?" she asked hesitantly, terrified to attempt a glance at him. For all she knew, he was still completely controlled by whatever it had been. Would he continue what he'd been about to do if she so much as glanced at him? Would he hold to the bed again, ignoring her questions and fear as he seemed to wrestle within himself?

"Don't...don't talk to me as if you forgive me. I...I've never let it completely control me like that before," he added, as if talking to himself. "I should never have asked you to do this. I can't even control myself."

The scent of blood brought her up into a sitting position and her head swinging to gaze at him. He had clenched his fist, slowly receding to their natural size claws breaking the skin of his palm. Gasping, she started to stand, but he turned that steely, light-red gaze on her and snarled, "Don't you dare coddle me. I don't deserve kindness."

With that, he left the room, probably breaking yet another lock as he moved as quickly as he could away from her.

Trying to replace the sight of him as a demon, she thought of the stricken look on his face when he'd finally really _noticed_ her. It was as if he hadn't believed what he would see. Or maybe he just hadn't thought about it until that moment. Either way, her heart had reached out to him—as it was often wont to do—and when she attempted to do the same physically, he had fled the room, leaving her alone with herself.

She thought over the events of the last few weeks. Somehow, she'd gone from finishing filming to "resting" at the Taisho Ranch. Could she be blamed for wanting to latch onto the only person she truly knew? Never mind that he was the man she was in love with. It was hard enough not to cling to him without provocation; _with _provocation was nearly suffocating her. She wanted to run after him, to hug him to her, to whisper words that would heal him. She wanted to tell him she loved him.

She knew it was stupid, irrational. But all she wanted was to hear those words in return from him and finally be able to give in. Even to pretend that it was a true engagement would have satisfied her.

_I don't want a woman that's going to suddenly take this whole arrangement the wrong way. I want a woman that's going to be able to just walk away after all is said and done._

That was what he had told her when he'd explained everything to her. She was to play the part and then walk away. He didn't _want_ her love or for her to expect love in return. They had a business deal and nothing more. He didn't want to share his name, his life, his children with her, as she caught herself wishing.

_You fit the bill, Kagome_, he'd said.

_Oh, how wrong you were InuYasha._

_Scene Change!_

Miroku knew his friend would try to kill him. That much was a given. But he hadn't a hint that it would be so savagely that InuYasha would attack, nor how abruptly he would find himself fighting for his life.

"If you _ever_ fucking touch her again, you lecher, I'll rip anything that has touched her from your body," the hanyou was snarling, his lip curled across his teeth with a ferocity to match the hand holding Miroku up by the collar of his shirt. "Do you hear me, Kazzana?" he demanded of the choking man.

"If...you would...let me breathe, I would tell...you that...I do," the victim breathed, trying to hold himself in a more comfortable position. He'd been treated in a fairly harsh way many times by InuYasha, who had a tendency to take his anger out on those closest to him. And since he couldn't exactly attack his parents...his best friend was next on the list.

Except for, perhaps, Kagome.

A thought struck Miroku as he was dropped unceremoniously to the ground. _Did he...did he somehow hurt her? Is that why he's so furious?_ The idea was a disturbing one that made the hand rubbing his raw throat tighten slightly.

He quickly banished the thought, however. There was no way that InuYasha had hurt Kagome physically; he loved her way to much to allow any kind of bodily injury. But mental or emotional...those InuYasha would inflict without knowing. Maybe he had pushed the actress just a little too hard? Perhaps it wasn't a bruise to her form, but a wound to her heart.

"Whatever it is...you think I did, I was merely...comforting her," he said, slowly catching his breath as he rose on shaky legs. Finally upright, Miroku said, "You really must get a better control on that temper, my friend. I almost _died_."

"I wouldn't have killed you so easily."

_Harsh much?_ Miroku asked InuYasha telepathically. The half demon was no longer paying any attention to the man he'd nearly decapitated with his far superior strength. When he began to walk away, the foreman followed slowly after, keeping a good distance behind so that the other man wouldn't blow yet another gasket. _It's definitely something to do with Kagome Higurashi. I haven't ever seen him act like this before._

"What is really bothering you?"

InuYasha was silent, still, and rigid where he had stopped. They'd been walking for nearly five minutes and Miroku's words had obviously surprised him. The fully human best friend didn't know whether to be worried about dying or his friend's sudden harsh intake of breath.

"She took comfort from _you_, but she'll never accept it from _me._ When I offer it, it's as if I'm something disgusting that she doesn't want near her."

_And he's surprised?_ "Look, I know the whole story between the two of you," Miroku said matter-of-factly. "I know that you proposed to her in _bed_ so that she would _stay there_. You never mentioned anything about love. It's always been about _your _needs or wants, not hers." Hoping he still had his friend's attention, the human pushed ahead after a short pause. "Tell her how you feel, InuYasha. I promise that it won't fail you."

The furious hanyou was abruptly facing off with his human companion once again. "Excuse me? Have you seen how she _acts _around me? Fuck. She always feels like she's about to bolt! She's the lamb and I'm the fucking wolf!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have told her it was a _fake engagement_! Maybe you should have worked back up to that point. She could have fallen in love with you again and you know it."

"She wouldn't have agreed to even go out on a _date_ if I hadn't said it was fake!"

"You could have worn her down."

"No, she's fucking stubborn!"

"Yes, but you're _worse_!"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you should go back there and tell her what's going on!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Shut up, both of you! You're too loud!" InuYasha's mother suddenly yelled up the stairs, a certain maternal threat in her tone that stopped the grown men in their tracks. They looked at each other, then separated, InuYasha moving towards his room while Miroku strolled towards his, chuckling the entire way at how juvenile they were.

_Scene Change!_

"Our son thinks we're stupid, Inu," Izayoi said mildly as she sipped her coffee, resting against the kitchen island. Though her back was to him, she had sensed his silent entry into the room as if he had announced it. "I think he believes that we don't know that it isn't a real engagement. Yet," she added for good measure. She already had a matchmaking plan coming to fruition in her mind, knowing it would be foolproof. It could even be considered Taisho-proof, considering the complete ineptitude of her men in the love department.

Something she would try her damnedest to correct.

Moving to slide between his mate and the counter, Inu wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and sighed, "I tried to get her to tell me. Neither of them will budge. They don't want to hurt your feelings." He gave a short laugh. "They should be more worried about themselves. Once they finally admit it, they'll have to feel _your_ wrath."

"Spoiling our grandchildren should be enough to drive them insane."

"You're truly devilish."

Turning to face her husband, Izayoi smiled. "You have _no_ idea."

_Faster update! Woo! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next update:_ So It Begins

**Preview**

"Kagome, your friend is on the phone; I believe her name is Sango—did I pronounce that right?" Izayoi asked into the receiver as she rounded the corner into the indoor patio housing the pool. "Oh, thank goodness. I happen to butcher names most of the time. Maybe it's just Japanese that I'm so good with," she joked, walking the phone to where Kagome was sliding out of her lawn chair. "No, darling, stay seated. You need to rest, remember?"

"I'm fine! I swear, Mrs.—Izayoi," Kagome replied, quickly correcting herself to please the older woman. Though she'd been there for nearly three days, she still wasn't completely comfortable calling InuYasha's mother by her given name.

"Just sit down. Now, here's your phone call. I'll be right back with some more water; you need to keep hydrated." Despite her knowledge of Kagome and InuYasha's true relationship, the matriarch of the house couldn't stop herself from liking the almost awkward young woman. There was a draw that couldn't be explained.

"Sango?"

_"I'm just going to apologize right now-"_

"What. Is. Going. On?"

_"I won't be there for at least another week, if not two."_


	6. So It Begins

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha.

_This is based on _Return Engagement **by Kay Hooper.**

_I'm trying to make this another good chapter! You seemed to like the last one, so I'll try to do just as well this time around. :)_

**So It Begins**

"Kagome, your friend is on the phone; I believe her name is Sango—did I pronounce that right?" Izayoi asked into the receiver as she rounded the corner into the indoor patio housing the pool. Her paint-stained jeans and yellow T-shirt only amplified how dark her hair was and how white her porcelain skin looked. "Oh, thank goodness. I happen to butcher names most of the time. Maybe it's just Japanese that I'm so good with," she joked, walking the phone to where Kagome was sliding out of her lawn chair. "No, darling, stay seated. You need to rest, remember?"

"I'm fine! I swear, Mrs.—Izayoi," Kagome replied, quickly correcting herself to please the older woman as she continued to stand. Though she'd been there for nearly three days, she still wasn't completely comfortable calling InuYasha's mother by her given name. She felt nearly naked standing there in the sunlight provided by the three window-walls with only her green bikini on. But she also felt so free, since at her home she could never go outside without the paparazzi trying to snap pictures of her.

"Just sit down." Izayoi gently nudged her soon-to-be daughter-in-law back into her chair. "Now, here's your phone call. I'll be right back with some more water; you need to keep hydrated." Despite her knowledge of Kagome and InuYasha's true relationship, the matriarch of the house couldn't stop herself from liking the almost awkward young woman. There was a draw that couldn't be explained, but it was most definitely there.

"Sango?" Kagome asked hesitantly into the receiver, hoping, praying that her housemate was calling for a ride from the airport. _Sango wouldn't leave me alone here any longer than she has,_ Kagome thought to herself. _She hates InuYasha too much._

The other woman's sharp intake of breath did nothing to calm the actress's nerves. _"I'm just going to apologize right now-"_

"What. Is. Going. On?" _She isn't coming at all. She's going to stay home with Jack and Jill and I'm going to make a complete fool of myself falling for InuYasha all over again-_

_"I won't be there for at least another week, if not two."_

Kagome froze. Could she last two weeks without her surrogate sister's strengthening presence? "You _have_ to get here sooner than that!" she cried, early leaping out of her seat. She paced by the side of the pool, muttering so no one could overhear, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to _not_ fall into that old rut with him? No, you must not if you're _going to leave me alone with him_!"

_"Honey, I'm sorry, but we can't leave yet. The paparazzi are tracking my every move like they _know_ I can lead them to you. I don't know why, but they're getting worse than usual."_

"Like they know... That rat bastard! I'll kill him! I'll call you back once I'm done kicking his ass," Kagome snarled, clicking the disconnect button before Sango could react. Slamming her arms into her robe, she quickly tied the sash as she stormed into the house, furious beyond compare at the underhanded tactics the hanyou would take to get his way. _I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him, _she chanted in her head, a war cry that pumped her blood full of adrenaline and prepared her for their battle.

His mother had said something about he and Miroku going to help the other men working at the ranch with the cattle, so the fuming woman hung a quick left to follow the long hallway to the very back parlor, where the men usually left their boots and outdoor things. When she slammed open the door, Mirkou and InuYasha both looked at her in shock, until they saw the murderous expression on her face.

"I'm going to leave the two of you alone. Meet you outside, if you're alive," Miroku added, clapping his best friend on the back before disappearing outside the sliding door, where a smirk lighted his face.

"Kagome, what the hell—"

"You told the paparazzi that Sango knows where I am, didn't you?" she screamed, uncaring that she nearly shook the entire house with the intensity of her voice. She stalked to InuYasha, standing just in front of him with a finger in his chest. "Why would you do that? What can you possibly gain from that?" The only thing she could hear was her own blood pounding in her ears, the adrenaline slamming into her and creating a false bravado she would have never had otherwise.

The half-demon snatched her finger in the process of stabbing him with it. "I'm gonna tell you to knock that the fuck off right now. I don't know what you're fucking talking about and I'm not gonna listen to you blaming everything on me." For someone issuing a threat, his voice was unusually even, she noticed, growing angrier by the moment. His eyes were narrowed, something she'd always pieced with him trying to keep his own temper in check. It didn't scare her, however. A part of her almost _wanted _him to get mad at her.

Taking a deep breath, she hissed under her breath, "Don't lie to me, Taisho. I _know_ why you didn't want her to come here; you're the only one with a motive to do that."

He froze, rigid with suppressed rage. "And what is my _motive_, Kagome?"

Almost backing down from the frightening quiet of his voice, she had to push herself on. "You don't want her to be here to knock my sense back into me. You know that she could make me completely ignore any _deals_ you throw at me and leave for my own home. She could make me tell this whole scheme of yours to everyone and not even care."

"You really think that I couldn't convince you in a much _different _way to stay?" He chuckled darkly, quickly shifting his hold from her finger to her wrist so he could draw it up just beside the dog ears on his head, bringing her fully against him. "Oh, little Kagome, I was the first one to get past all that baggage you carry around. Wanna bet that I can't do it again?" He smirked in her face, no doubt seeing in her eyes that she hadn't expected this side of him.

"You...you..."

"I'm what?" he questioned, wrapping his arm around her waist and bringing her closer. "I'll tell you something right now; you might _think_ that you can back out of this 'scheme' of mine, but I won't let you. I won't force you, but you won't be able to leave once I'm finished with you."

Those words put together in that phrase...anything she might have been feeling towards him other than anger immediately dissipated. He thought that _sex_ could make her stay? That she would let herself be a _plaything_? He had another think coming. "Let go of me, you conceited asshole!" Calling upon some reserve of survival instincts, Kagome brought up her knee swiftly to knock him to the ground.

She should have known her blow would never connect.

"That's it. You wanna play dirty? I can play dirty." In the next blink of an eye, InuYasha had her swept over his shoulder and was striding purposefully towards the hallway that he could maneuver much better than she. All his muscles were tight and his fingers were tight on the back of her knees, though he was careful not to prick her with his claws.

She was snapped out of her shock when Izayoi's voice rang out, "Oh, darling, please be careful not to hit her head on anything. She's already had enough run ins with hospitals." Was that teasing in the older woman's voice? Kagome was pretty sure that she was being made fun of. A blush warmed her face.

"InuYasha, your mother's right. That poor girl is going to be more beat up after these six months than she was when she got here, if you're going to carry on this way." Even Inu was joking around? Did they not see that their son was acting like a caveman? Of course, they had lived through a lot of changes in women's rights, so perhaps they could be forgiven.

InuYasha, however, would not get off so easily.

"Put me down, InuYasha—"

"He doesn't have a middle name, dear."

"-Taisho, or so help me God, I'll—" She cut off her own tirade with a yelp; his hand had landed, as a reprimand, on her ass with a soft sound. "Don't you _ever—_"

"Shut up."

Izayoi and Inu both started laughing, though they did seem to try to muffle it as they let InuYasha climb the stairs. On the landing, Izayoi called, "I was going to make some lunch, but I suppose you won't be joining us?"

"No," her son returned, moving up the stairs two at a time. The girl on his shoulder squeaked as they turned the corner towards Their Room, where he had been sleeping in a plush armchair while she took the bed every night. Somehow, it didn't seem that she'd be that lucky today.

InuYasha kicked the door closed, as he had done before, and it gave a _click_ as the lock automatically closed. Could that sound have seemed anymore final? As the adrenaline left her, Kagome began to panic. She flailed in his hold, hoping, praying that he wouldn't realize that he truly _did_ have a certain power over her. Any other embarrassing thing, she would allow, but not that knowledge.

When he dropped her onto the bed, she immediately went to duck under his arm, only to have his fingers wrap around her thigh. "You know as well as I do that with the door locked—or even unlocked—you don't stand a chance of getting past me until you hear me out." Was that reason in his voice? Then why were his hands trembling where they touched her skin?

Feeling more exposed than she ever had in a swimsuit, she tried to hide herself with the smaller blanket thrown atop the comforter. "I can't believe you just...just carted me up here like a bag of...of...of potatoes! You can't treat me like that!" She noticed that he hadn't removed his hand from where it pressed her leg into the bed. "And you can _definitely_ let go of me now!"

Amber eyes searched hers quickly, as if trying to sense whether she were being serious or not. Finally, sadness drifted into them and his weight was next to hers on the bed, one arm thrown haphazardly across her chest. His face was turned towards hers, but she kept her gaze stubbornly on the ceiling, trying to ignore the way her heart beat too fast in this position.

It just seemed so...intimate. If she wasn't careful, she could even begin to expect this kind of closeness because it wasn't just sexual. It was emotional, at least for her, and it felt as if they were connected in some way other than a fake engagement. _This is what I've always wanted,_ she thought to herself. _I've always wanted this feeling with someone. _It was all she could do to keep herself from leaning into the warmth of his body next to hers. _Unfortunately, he's not the kind of guy I should be letting myself feel this way with._

After several minutes, his breathing became even and Kagome stole a glance at him. He was...asleep. Just like that. Startled by how peaceful his features were, she wondered if she could chance sleep as well. Of course, if he awoke and said anything, she could tell him she hadn't been able to move his arm and had decided to make the most of the situation. Besides, she couldn't escape the absolute _right_ of the feeling blooming inside her. As if this were somewhere she was supposed to be. And she just wanted to soak in the feeling as much as possible.

Keeping only her face turned towards him, she allowed her eyes to drift closed, wondering if he ever had the internal battles she seemed to be fighting every day. Then she was curling next to him, already lost to her dreams.

_Scene Change!_

InuYasha woke up after only an hour, maybe two. He felt re-energized and content, even before he saw the beautiful woman curled into his chest, murmuring under her breath. A small smile came to his mouth of its own accord as his hand reached out to gently brush a stray hair from her forehead. She seemed so fragile and innocent, like she might break if he held her too tightly.

A strong desire to kiss her swept through him at that moment. He could get away with it, he knew. Unless she had become a much lighter sleeper in the years since leaving his bed, she would never know. And all he'd wanted to do for the past weeks was to kiss her and make her remember them together. Remember their time as it had been before she'd taken his proposal and thrown it in his face.

Making the decision to just steal a quick kiss to tide him for awhile, the half-demon was shocked when the woman's lips parted and she whispered, "I love you, InuYasha."

Frozen to his spot, he wondered if he'd heard her right. Or maybe he was still dreaming. That would be much more believable than those words leaving Kagome Higurashi's mouth. Then again...dreams were the only real pathway to the mind. If she was dreaming about him—about telling him she loved him—then maybe she had something she needed to tell him. Something that would change how he approached the engagement.

_Oh, Kagome, you're _so _in for it._

_Scene Change!_

Kagome had awoken to a sleeping InuYasha, who she'd sneaked away from at her first chance. Flushing with embarrassment, she'd changed into comfortable jeans and a T-shirt then fled to the horse barn.

InuYasha and his parents had all warned her, saying that a real ride on a horse could be that little push her body didn't need. It would be so easy for her to over-exert herself and no one would be able to find her until it was too late. Especially if she tried to ride the Appaloosa.

_"That mare is just fine until you try to ride her. She'll eat out of your palm and protect you from the stallion, but God forbid you try to get on her back,"_ Izayoi had said when she'd given her a tour of the stables.

Creeping over to where the Appaloosa was eating, Kagome gingerly opened the door. "Hey there, girl," she said quietly when the horse turned to get a look at her. The mare shifted so she could put her nose in the actress's outstretched hand, snorting once as if to laugh at Kagome's trembling. "You wouldn't throw me, would you? I just want to go for a little walk around the ranch. Nothing hard for you," she assured the horse, who didn't try to move away as Kagome rubbed her face. "Thatta girl. Come on."

Leading the horse out to corral, Kagome suddenly felt nervous. This animal had no reason to trust her, no reason to treat her any differently than anyone else. She shouldn't take a chance just to show herself she could. She needed to start thinking before her actions, instead of just expecting everything to work out.

So she decided the two of them would just walk around the ranch using a lead rope. Maybe someday she would be able to ride the mare, but at this point, she shouldn't be taking such stupid chances.

_Great, now I'm admitting to myself that InuYasha was right. Thank God he can't read my mind or else I'd never hear the end of it._

But what did one talk about with a horse?

Taking a deep breath, Kagome began with, "Well, it was all fine until that stupid movie premiere four years ago, when I got my first real role."

_Flashback?_

"I'd just like to thank my leading lady, Miss Kagome Higurashi! She's as talented as she is beautiful!" Kouga Wolfe practically shouted into the microphone, though no one other than her seemed to notice. He was gorgeous with his dark tux and smirk. There was a certain gleam of interest whenever he looked at her, much more than his casual flirting lead on. _Maybe I should ask him out,_ she thought to herself as he continued to sing her praises, making jokes at her expense every once in awhile. She didn't mind, however. _I'm going to need someone to have my pictures taken with now, _she chided herself, suddenly uncomfortable.

Turning around, she wished she'd worn her Converse underneath this gown. It was long enough that no one would have noticed, but her new fashion consultant had practically spat on the idea. _"You are big shot actress now; do not dress even feet as Raggedy Ann!"_

She'd wanted to shout that she was still in charge of her own footwear, that the heels he'd forced upon her would just kill her feet. Then she would make a complete fool of herself and he would only have himself to blame.

But he wouldn't have listened to her anyways. The stubborn Frenchman believed that the saying, "Beauty is pain," should apply to every fashion choice. Even the dress she wore felt as if it were too tight and too stiff for her to move around in.

So involved in her pain that she'd stopped focusing on taking careful steps, Kagome ended up doing the worst thing imaginable at that moment: she tripped. With every pair of eyes in the room on her, she was going to fall on her face and look like an idiot. With horrible balance.

But the ground never came. Instead, she felt two hands wrap around her arms and pull her upright before she'd done more than stumble. And they were masculine fingers, tipped with claws not long enough to be a demon's, but more deadly than a human's. They were covered in scars, even though their owner was in a very expensive looking tuxedo that she doubted was a rental.

Swallowing her embarrassment, she met his eyes. Amber eyes, a shade she'd never seen before. The knowledge that she was with someone that wasn't human nearly made her swallow her tongue. And when her eyes found dog ears...all she wanted to do was touch them and see if they were as soft as they seemed. "Thank you," she breathed slowly, more because of her fixation on his ears than her near-fall.

"You should be more careful. You could have really hurt yourself. And would you stop staring at my ears?"

Gruff, growling voice. Annoyed tone, even though he hadn't _had_ to grab her before she'd dropped. So dog-boy was an asshole, hmm?

"Oh, well, I'm _so_ sorry that I didn't trip farther away from you. I _must_ have taken _so_ much time away from your busy schedule." Straightening herself out of his hold, she twisted on her heel and waved him off without a care. "Please, don't mind me any longer."

She walked gracefully away, making sure to keep herself close to Kouga, who was immediately at her side. Then the wolf demon explained that she'd just snuffed InuYasha Taisho, the most famous producer in producerdom. And she knew that this was both her first and last leading role of her life.

_End of flashback?_

Scene Change!

Kagome had spent the better part of two hours walking with the mare, who she called Duchess because of her regal air and disgust with human riders. Once they'd returned to the stables, Miroku came to tell her that dinner was going to be served soon and Izayoi had made something special just for her. Though how that was any different from the other meals they'd had, Kagome wasn't sure.

Dinner was a quiet affair, mostly because Kagome was trying to act as if she were still angry with InuYasha for his earlier escapade—though she had vented herself out to Duchess on their walk—and the older Taishos were trying to keep their laughter to themselves. Miroku was a chatterbox, however, since he'd been outside helping with a broken fence when the drama had unfolded.

After dinner, InuYasha followed Kagome to her new friend's stable, both of them silent throughout the trek.

Sitting down on a stool she'd put next to Duchess's door, Kagome held up her hand and waited for the mare to nuzzle it. Only seconds later, a spotted nose was in the actress's hand and was being scratched to its owner's leisure.

"Why did you follow me out here?" she asked with a sigh of reserve. He was just going to chastise her for coming out here in the first place when she could do nothing but pet the animals. It was better to just get it over with sooner rather than later, at this point.

He was silent for a moment, making her twitch uncomfortably under his gaze. Then he mumbled, "I should have run like a thief when I could," and stopped her dead in her tracks. He knelt in front of her and put his hands on her knees. With a look of complete sincerity in his eyes, he said, "Let's get married," and nearly made her faint.

_Sorry about how long this chapter took. I've fallen in love with a new show (The Vampire Diaries) and was totally hooked into that for awhile. Lucky for us all, however, I had a dream about this chapter and couldn't wait to post it. I hope you all enjoyed this and I promise to try to update sooner! Next update: _What About Love?

**Preview**

Kagome practically threw herself off the stool in an attempt to scuttle away from him. "You...you're crazy. Clinically, and in any other way there is! Get away from me!" she shouted when he stood to follow her to the corner of the barn.

"Oh, come on, you can't be _that _surprised!" InuYasha retorted, arms reaching out to steady her. She hadn't even noticed her knees shaking until he pointed it out. "Damnit, you're about to fall over! Get over here!"

"N-no! You're crazy and my parents taught me to never trust a crazy person!" With that, she tried to duck under his arm, but his superior reflexes had her caught immediately. She flailed as wildly as she could and noticed that Duchess was making quite a ruckus in her stable as well.

InuYasha sat on the same stool Kagome had only just vacated and brought her down on his lap. "You don't have to act as if I'm going to kill you," he grumbled.

_You don't understand _anything_ do you?_ She wished the words would leave her mouth. _You _would _kill me! When you got bored and moved on, I wouldn't, and I'd be left to love the pieces of you I had left!_


	7. What About Love

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha.

_This is based off _Return Engagement **by Kay Hooper**.

_I hope you all enjoy this chapter; it's been one of my favorites to write! :)_

What About Love

Kagome, horrified, practically threw herself off the stool in an attempt to scuttle away from him. "You...you're crazy. Clinically, and in any other way there is! Get away from me!" she shouted when he stood to follow her to the corner of the barn. Though she knew her reaction was a little melodramatic—okay, a _lot_ melodramatic—she couldn't control the fear rising in her throat. "You can't honestly mean that!"

"Oh, come on, you can't be _that _surprised!" InuYasha retorted, arms reaching out to steady her. She hadn't even noticed her knees shaking until his arms were nearly all the way around her. She sidestepped out of his way every time he grabbed for her, though. "Damnit, you're about to fall over! Get over here!" He made a move to grab her, but she narrowly avoided his hold. She knew that he could hear her heart pounding in her chest, probably even smell the panic pouring off her like cheap perfume. And it was obviously upsetting him because she would have never otherwise been able to get away from so many of his attempts at holding her.

Swallowing hard, she knew her only chance at escape was through the door behind him. The only problem was that she would have to get past _him_. _Sneak attack_, she thought quickly. "N-no! You're crazy and my parents taught me to never trust a crazy person!"

With that, she tried to duck under his arm, but his superior reflexes had her caught immediately. His arm was like an iron pole wrapping around her, keeping her in place, though she tried to thwart it. She flailed as wildly as she could and noticed that Duchess was making quite a ruckus in her stable as well. _I knew there was a reason that horse and I connected so well,_ she thought absently to herself.

InuYasha sat on the same stool Kagome had only just vacated with a sigh and brought her down on his lap. "You don't have to act as if I'm going to kill you," he grumbled, obviously disheartened by her response to what he had probably thought was a great proposal.

_You don't understand _anything _do you?_ She wished the words would leave her mouth. _You _would _kill me! When you got bored and moved on, I wouldn't, and I'd be left to love the pieces of you I had left! Every little piece would have to be swept up and taped together and nothing would ever be the same._

Instead of those words, however, she snapped, "And you don't have to act so stupid!" twisting her neck to look him in the eyes. "Didn't you come to me with this whole charade because I _wouldn't_ want to get married? Or have you completely forgotten that you and I don't even _like_ each other?" Trying to force her voice to stay even and her heart to return to normal, she took deep breaths, hoping he would just suspect that she was angry. Anything but the real reason would be nice.

There was a moment of silence before InuYasha spoke again. "Maybe I changed my mind," he mused with a gleam in his eyes that she had never seen there before. It made her heart catch in her throat even as he continued speaking. "You see, you need a keeper and it looks like I'm the only one willing and able to make you pay attention to a doctor's orders. I figure it's a win-win for both of us. I get a stable home and you get someone to take care of you."

Kagome was completely taken aback by his reasoning. He wanted her to accept just being _kept_? Did he honestly think that she had worked so hard in her career just to be taken care of by _him_? Trying to keep her emotions in check, she snarled, "Remember the _last_ time you asked me to marry you? You just assumed that I would give up my career to cater to you as some _housewife_ and I threw your proposal back in your face!" Shoving herself up and out of his lap, she spun to face him with a finger in his face. "I will _never_, _in a million years_, marry you! You are the most chauvinistic man on the entire planet!"

She didn't flinch when the half-demon stood up, leaning over and crowding her towards the opposite stall, which was luckily empty. "And another thing, you can't just _propose _in a _horse stable_! If I'm supposed to take anything that comes out of your mouth seriously, you could at least do it somewhere a _little_ romantic!"

Before she could continue her tirade, InuYasha gently took hold of her wrist, bringing it down to her side. He took an extra step towards her and murmured, "Oh, really? So you want a formal courting before you marry someone? You want months of flowers and chocolates and dates to lead you to a restaurant where he would be down on one knee and offer you a diamond ring?" Something flared in his eyes and his chest was suddenly pressing against hers so her back hit the stable door. "Because I'll do that. Mark my words, though, you'll be promising to be my wife before these six months are over."

Dropping her hand completely, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the stables. Kagome was left standing there alone, shocked and fearful.

Because she'd never seen InuYasha Taisho not go through with one of his threats.

_Scene Change!_

For the rest of the week, Kagome made it a point to avoid any time alone with InuYasha. Every moment of every day, she was with Izayoi, talking wedding details—she had to admit, if only to herself, that it was fun—or shopping online for things that they would need for their future home. They never purchased anything—Kagome would say that InuYasha needed to also approve of it—but she didn't know how long she could keep it up. Luckily, however, Izayoi spent most of the time looking at wedding dresses with Kagome, so she'd kept her son as far as possible.

Unfortunately, she couldn't be protected forever.

One night, after a long day of being around the animals, Kagome snuck off to the pool room, sinking into the hot tub with a sigh of happiness. _I could definitely get used to this,_ she thought to herself, barely able to contain a moan of pleasure at the feeling of the hot water caressing her back. "Why didn't I get _this_ model for the farmhouse?" she said aloud, grinning.

She allowed herself to forget about the awkward, hot feeling she got whenever InuYasha was brought in on the wedding talk. He would just give her a _look_, one of those glances that told her he was going to find a way for all of his plans to come to fruition. And whenever he would wrap an arm around her waist or grab her hand, she would get a shock wherever they touched.

But now she could just ignore the entire outside world and worry about something a little more pressing: where were Sango and the dogs? She was a little surprised that her best friend hadn't broken down the front gate yet looking for InuYasha in complete attack mode. And Jack and Jill were probably missing her, since she should have been there about two months before.

"You look comfortable."

Kagome couldn't even flinch at InuYasha's voice. All she wanted to do was sink into the water and keep herself immersed until he left. Unfortunately, she could hear his footsteps getting closer to where she sat and knew that he was going to do something stupid, like scold her for being there alone at night.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard him getting into the hot tub with her. Her mouth dropped open when she realized that he _wasn't wearing any pants. _"You're naked!" she cried, averting her gaze and ready to run out of the room. She was just about to get out of the Jacuzzi when a clawed hand pulled her backwards. "Oh, no! No, no, no! I'm not going to be in here with you...naked!"

"Oh, whatever, Kagome. It's not like you haven't seen everything already. In fact, you've done a lot more than just-"

"Shut up!"

She tried fruitlessly to get out of his hold, but he kept his hand tight around her wrist until he locked his fingers with hers, ignoring the fact that she wasn't even looking at him. "You know, you don't have to act so Victorian about this. If we've already had sex, then you already know the equipment. And it's not like anyone would be surprised if they saw us in here together. You could probably just take off that swimsuit, too."

He must have known that that comment would make her angry enough to actually look at him. "You must be delusional because there is _no way in hell_ that I'm going to get naked with you! Ever!" She stopped trying to get away from him and just accepted that he wouldn't be letting her leave until he wanted her to. "If all you're going to do is make fun of me for not wanting to see you naked again, I'd really prefer that you would let me go to bed. I'd really rather just be _away_ from you."

"Why are you so mad at me? Because I'm pretty sure all I did was tell you I wanted to marry you," InuYasha mused, locking his golden gaze with hers. Though his words were a little mocking, his eyes held genuine confusion. It was as if he really didn't understand how she couldn't want to marry him.

She didn't know whether to hit him or laugh at him.

"InuYasha," she began, turning her entire body towards him, "I'm not going to be _just_ a wife for anyone. I don't want to only raise kids and make my husband's dinner and do household chores. I've fought to be an actress and I'm going to continue fighting until the day I die." Gaining more passion for her words, she went on her knees so they would be face to face and leaned closer to him. "I will never drop off the radar because of some man. If I do, it will be because I'm no longer the best, but believe me, they won't get rid of me easily.

"And when I get married, it's going to be for love. My kids aren't going to be raised in a house where their parents don't love each other and they certainly aren't going to be shipped from one parent's house to the other because I was selfish and just wanted stability. They will _never_ go through what I did."

InuYasha's hands came up to her face, bringing it as close to his as it could be without them kissing. "When we get married, I promise you that you'll be stuck with me long after death do us part. I will walk through hell and back to keep you where you belong: right by me." With that, he kissed her. It wasn't like the pecks that they gave each other whenever they felt they needed to around his parents. This was the real thing.

Later, she would blame it on her anger, the passion she had argued with. She would come up with excuses that he would never accept just to pacify herself. All just so that she wouldn't have to admit to herself that she was completely vulnerable to him because of her love. But she was, and she would have to face those consequences in the morning. Right then, all she really wanted to do was be with him.

She didn't struggle when he pulled her up to straddle his legs, crushing her chest to his. She didn't even realize that she'd moaned aloud until he returned the sound, holding her all the closer. And, for once, she didn't feel like she had to run away in his presence. He might be there, but she could be just as in control as him.

So she exercised that control.

She ignored his protests when she started to pull away, though she didn't break their kiss. Leaning just far enough away for them to only be touching where their mouths met, she led him slowly up until they stood in the center of the hot tub. She murmured, "Maybe we should take this somewhere less public?" and he immediately jumped at the idea. He swiped a towel to wrap around himself and brought them both out of the hot tub.

Before she knew what they were doing, he had her cradled against his chest and they were on their way to the bedroom they'd been sharing. If she hadn't known that his father, at least, could probably hear them hastily moving through the halls, she would have worried about being caught. But she was too caught up in this short time that she had with InuYasha to really care.

He practically flung the door off its hinges as he tried to kiss her, hold her, and open the door at the same time. It was easy enough for him to kick it closed, however, and she could hear the _click_ of the automatic lock just as she had before.

In seconds, InuYasha had dropped her on the bed, only to follow her down. Though warning bells were going off in her head as if to say she was in too deep, she ignored them carelessly. One night with him wouldn't hurt. She could handle one night and still make it out intact.

Kagome tried to roll him over so she could be on top, but he pinned her wrists in one hand to the pillows beneath her head. She nipped at his lip, but he only chuckled and used his other hand to trail down her stomach. She wriggled at the tickling sensation of his claws lightly moving along her stomach, leaving only pinpricks of tingling behind. God, she loved those hands. They knew exactly what they needed to do and when.

The claws that she had just been admiring suddenly rendered her bikini top useless as they tore through the flimsy fabric that kept it together. Her bottoms soon followed suit.

"Hey, what do you think-" she began against his lips.

He cut off her response with a hard kiss as his fingers abruptly dived towards her center. Her eyes widened at the sudden feeling of his hands on her, her breathing harsh and panting. "Oh, God," he groaned, his mouth moving down her cheek and jaw to her neck. "You're so fucking _wet_ already."

If she had had the ability to think after that, she might have heard the warning bells getting louder and louder. Maybe she would have remembered just how possessive he got after they shared this kind of intimacy. But she couldn't. Her mind was completely focused on the fingers playing expertly with her, making her want to cry out.

"-promise I'll go slower next time. This time—damnit, I want you too bad."

She didn't want slower. She hadn't had someone else get her off since the last time she'd been with him. All she could think about was getting him inside her, finally feeling that connection with him that she was desperate for. If he would just bring them back together like that, maybe she could finally have his love. But she would have to think about that another day because he dipped one long finger inside of her and she could do nothing but cry out.

"Fuck," he whispered, his breathing now just as heavy as hers. "You're so tight. You're gonna feel so fucking good."

With that, he pulled his finger free and laid down fully on top of her, letting go of her hands. The released appendages went to his back, her nails digging into the muscle of his shoulders. He gritted his teeth against it and kissed her again, harder than before. At this point, they were both ravenous for one another.

After several long moments of scratching and nipping and kissing, InuYasha broke away, gripping himself in one hand. Gently aligning himself with her opening, he tried not to moan at the feeling of her surrounding the head of his cock.

He was obviously only going slow for her. The feeling of being stretched was a little uncomfortable, but she needed more than some slow, mutual meeting. She wanted fast and hard, and she would get it, damnit.

Moving her hands to his lower back, she dug her nails in and pulled him closer, making both of them gasp. The not-unpleasant invasion made her eyes flutter and his nearly rolled back in his head. And he still wasn't even halfway in.

Leaning down, InuYasha whispered in Kagome's ear, "I was going to go nice and slow to make sure I didn't hurt you, but apparently that's not what you want." He shoved a little harder than before, eliciting a gasp from the woman beneath him. "I'm gonna fuck you like I didn't before. The way I wanted to. And you're gonna scream for me." He thrust again and she cried out, pleasure flooding her body.

He kept at it, moaning in her ear about how tight she was, how wet, and she nearly came from that alone. Finally, he was as far inside of her as he could be.

They both froze, reveling in the feeling of being so connected once again. It was a feeling of being home after too long of a trip and they would have stayed like that for longer if the urge to move hadn't overcome them both.

It was like a dam burst. InuYasha thrust inside her hard and fast, hitting a hidden spot there that made her cry out, though she tried to stop the sound by biting into his shoulder, something he seemed to enjoy all the more. Nails digging into his back, Kagome could feel something curling in her abdomen, tightening as if to warn her what was to come. As the feeling grew stronger and stronger, she arched her back, releasing his shoulder from her mouth and screaming.

"You're so...fucking...tight!" InuYasha groaned, his mouth meeting hers and cutting off her noises. With one last thrust of him inside of her, she went over the edge, making louder sounds against his mouth then she had been. And that's when she felt him pulse and something warm filled her.

Her climax was cut short by the feeling, knowing what they had just done. The moment he fell on top of her, she rolled him away and swung herself off the bed. Fleeing to the adjourning bathroom, she wasn't surprised when he mumbled, "Where're you goin'?" and ignored him.

Jumping into the shower, she tried to wash away the feeling of stupidity and irresponsibility that seemed to cling to her. How could she have forgotten to use protection? What if she was pregnant? How could she have been so _stupid_?

She stood under the hot water for a long time, just trying to make herself believe that it really had happened. Not only that she might have just gotten pregnant, but that she had had sex with InuYasha Taisho after that idiotic proposal of his. She couldn't even remember how they had led up to a sudden, fifteen-minute bout of sex that she had always promised herself would never happen again.

After a half hour of her just standing there in the shower, there was a knock on the door. She contemplated just saving them the trouble of buying a new doorknob by going to open it herself, then remembered that she hadn't locked the door to begin with.

She didn't call out to tell him he could enter, but he did anyways. In seconds, he had pulled back the shower curtain and joined her beneath the hot spray of water.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he murmured in her ear, "You sure ran off fast," though she could feel his smile against the sensitive skin beneath her ear. "We could have just stayed in bed and cuddled for awhile. Then we could have gone for a much longer round two." He kissed from beneath her ear down to where her neck met her shoulder and she could feel him getting harder against her lower back.

She shrugged out of his hold and started to pull aside the curtain. "You can have the shower." She caught him so off guard that she could actually duck out of the shower and the room without him grabbing her. Unfortunately, that didn't stop him from turning off the water and following her out.

Grabbing her arm just outside the bathroom, he spun her to face him, totally unabashed at his nakedness. "What's wrong, Kagome?" he asked, obviously concerned. When she didn't answer, he let go of her and took a step back. "I hurt you," he decided, guilt glittering in his eyes. Turning away from her, he punched the wall just beside the doorway. "Fuck!"

She could have let him continue believing that. It would have been easier for her and maybe him, too. But her heart wanted her to reassure him that it had been her own stupidity that had led to her feeling as if she needed to distance herself from him.

Laying her hand on his shoulder, she murmured, "It's not your fault. I'm just...upset at how irresponsible we were." When he looked at her with a blank, questioning stare, she sighed. "We didn't use any protection. What if I get pregnant? What will we do then? This is _exactly_ the kind of thing I've always tried to avoid!" Her anger flared when his gaze lightened, as if he didn't understand the severity of the situation and was laughing at it. "How can you act so nonchalant? Is this your way of _trapping me_?"

She went off, calling him all sorts of rude names and swatting at him with her hands. When he simply caught her flinging hands and rested his forehead against hers, she nearly shrieked in her fury. Finally, she screamed, "What is so funny, goddamnit?"

"I just thought you might know a little more about demons than that," he said lightly, grinning at her. Even when her eyes narrowed and she threatened vulnerable parts of his anatomy, his mood was light and happy. "Kagome, I can't get anyone pregnant until after I mate them. It's a way of...controlling the demon population, since most of us are pretty much immortal. And we can have children up until the day we die." He gently kissed her forehead, walking her backwards towards the bed. "So we can fuck as often as we like and I can come inside you whenever you want and there's no way for us to have a child."

Kagome blinked up at him, studying him intently for any signs of a lie, but found none. He gently laid her down on the bed and she let him, even when he followed her down. "Do you promise? We're safe?"

"We're safe. Now shut up. The only things I want to hear coming out of your mouth are, 'Yes, InuYasha,' and 'Oh, InuYasha'. Understand?"

"We'll see about that."

Then they stopped talking altogether.

_It took me soo long to update and I'm sorry. But I hope you liked this chapter! Next update:_ Arrival of the Calvary

**Preview**

"Oh, InuYasha, would you please wake up our Sleeping Beauty? There's someone on the phone for her."

"This better be an emergency, Mother."

"It is, dear. It's that friend of hers; Sango was her name, I think."

Kagome heard InuYasha groan at the mention of her best friend and woke fully at that moment. Embarrassment immediately flooded her when she realized that she and InuYasha were completely naked and intertwined and his _mother_ had just come in to wake them up.

"Wake up, wench. The sooner you pick up that phone, the sooner we can get back to sleep," InuYasha murmured in her ear before turning away. The sound of the door closing with a soft giggle made Kagome's face burn ever hotter. "Oh, don't act so modest. My mother expects this kind of thing from us. She might have been born in a different century, but she's seen the world change."

Sitting up, the young actress pulled the blanket up around her. "You know, you could have just answered the phone."

"And talk to that beast you're friends with? Not a chance."


End file.
